Cross-country car event in Gabon
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The destruction of4,500 Heineken airbeds, 18%
of which were found to leak. As this percentage
was unacceptably high, a decision was taken to
send the entire batch to be destroyed under the
watchful eye of W. van Houten, advertising
materials buyer. A very unpleasant operation,
but one that was essential to protect Heineken's
good name. Heineken had not yet taken delivery
of the batch, so the costs of incineration and of
the airbeds themselves were borne by the
supplier.
the article may have deteriorated
somewhat because of storage. The sheer
weight of numbers makes it impossible to
check everything.
And, talking about the sheer weight of
numbers, have you any idea of how many
beer mats Heineken distributes
throughout the world each year? Make a
guess! The answer is given on page 14 (Bet
you were not even close!)
Though cute in itself, this little hat, made from
cans and wool by a lady admirer of our beer, will
certainly not find a place in our advertising
materials storeroom.
This Heineken material went out of stock long
ago. But we thought you wouldn't want to miss
seeing this photo!
Though Heineken does not sponsor individual sportspeople such
as racing drivers or showjumpers, it often sponsors events which
are very diverse in nature, ranging from speed-skating contests to
marathons. One such highly unusual event was held in Gabon,
where powerful cars were put through their paces in a sort of
endurance test over difficult terrain. The show was surrounded by
a great deal of publicity for our product. There were posters
announcing the event, television and radio coverage and, of
course, newspaper reports, whilst the 2,500 spectators were often
brought face to face with our brand. On the day before the event
very heavy rains had turned the course into a quagmire. On the
day itself the sun shone, though not enough to firm up the muddy
soil. As a result the drivers, who included three lady entrants, had
to stop more than once for repairs.