"I think we have to be very careful in using
celebrities. We don't want to build our brand on
celebrities although we use them for the brand
we don't want to leverage the celebrity"
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character Mr. Spock from the 1960s) deeper investigation reveals a more
nuanced approach. The brewery involves itself in blockbuster films,
adopting a strategy that is heavily involved with the 'above the line'
presence - global promotions, advertisements - and 'below the line
presence - shop floor promotions, premiers etc They choose films that fit
around the qualities of the brand and almost by coincidence, will bring the
actors and actresses into the image association. Stars are not the primary
focus, albeit they play gn important role.
"I believe we have to be very careful in using celebrities. We don't want to
build our brand on celebrities. Although we use them for the brand we
don't want to leverage the celebrity. Relevant image association,
emphasizing key brand values, and impact is our goal with celebs," explains
Drenth, bringing an important point to the discussion. "We don't want to
follow a celebrity. It depends on the film, the type of character he plays,
the type of character he is. For example Brad Pitt, his personality, his
attitude that is something that relates to the Heineken personality you
could say. He represents the premium, top quality. He's globally
recognized, explorative, clever and respectful. He's interested in
architecture and design, interested how things are going in Africa. Looking
at Brad Pitt it's not just that 'Okay, he's a well known celebrity let's pick
him,' we really had good thoughts; do we need to do something with him.
Cinema, Brad Pitt, Heineken, it's the perfect fit," Drenth says. "Moreover,
he's liked by a broad range of people worldwide."
While celebrities are a visible aspect of Heineken's interaction of the realm
of the film, it's just one level of the strategy in this medium and a
component of the overall marketing, advertisement and sponsorship mix
that Heineken uses to activate its brand. Using sports sponsorship (UEFA
Champions League, the Olympics, rugby and others), music events (Thirst
as well as numerous local festivals), traditional advertisement (broadcast,
print and online) and other marketing campaigns, Heineken is in a
privileged position in being able to reach its global target audience with a
dynamic mix of media products and event sponsoring.
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