AMSTEL AND HEINEKEN
'CELEBRATE FOOTBALL'
AT THE UEFA
CHAMPIONS
Celebrations
Over the past eleven years, Amstel and the UEFA Champions
League have developed a strong business relationship,
combining the passion of Europe's premier football competition
with the fun and excitement of the Amstel brand. In May,
Heineken announced that it has extended it's sponsorship of the
UEFA Champions League for the 2006 to 2009 seasons, with the
Heineken brand taking over the sponsorship, starting from the
beginning of the 2005/2006 season. And as the 2005 season
drew to a magnificent climax at the UEFA Champions League
grand final match in Istanbul, Turkey, Amstel threw one heck of
a party, giving everyone a reason to celebrate!
In the afternoon just before the final thrilling match on May 25, Amstel
constructed a special mini soccer stadium in Gezi Park, on Taksim Square in
the city-centre of Istanbul. Turkish, British and Italian football fans were
challenged to show off their own goal-scoring talents before the start of
the official competition.
"The event was all about capturing the emotion of that ultimate moment in
football - the goal," said Tanja Manders, International Communication
Manager at Amstel. "The football goal is an exciting sporting climax, a
moment often followed by a unique and spontaneous celebration by the
scoring player and his team. We wanted fans to experience that intense
moment of celebration by re-enacting a goal. The fans really got into it!"
Amstel is proud of its long-standing support of the UEFA Champions League
and has dedicated itself to sharing with fans the excitement of European
football. This year, Amstel flew in around 1000 specially invited VIP guests
to take part in the festivities. Some of these special guests were consumers
who had won their tickets to the UEFA Champions League final. "Every year,
Amstel provides a certain amount of free tickets to lucky winners from
across Europe," Manders said. "In the Netherlands, for example, we gave
away tickets through a special competition." The rest of the VIPs were
specially invited guests from the commercial sector, including Amstel
retailers, marketing specialists and other business partners.
The VIPS were treated to a full, three-day program of activities. Upon
arriving in Turkey, guests were escorted to their hotels, followed by an
official welcoming reception on the picturesque banks of the Turkish
