International campaign
for responsible consumption
World of Heineken 39 - winter 2008/2009
Responsible consumption of beer has long been an objective of
Heineken and this autumn the world will see the launch of the first
true international, internet-based responsibility campaign.
The campaign, dubbed Know the Signs, will reach out to young adult
beer drinkers in an attempt to try to get them to reflect on their own
drinking behaviour. The website at the centre of the campaign went
live last October. The ad campaigns supporting it will be rolled out this
month in more than 12 countries, ranging from Taiwan to Columbia.
The campaign educates consumers in a disarming and witty manner
about the noisy, irritating and sometimes aggressive behaviour
excessive consumption can cause.
Through various channels, consumers are directed towards the
knowthesigns.com website, where they can watch movies illustrating
classic examples of inappropriate behaviour carried out by five
inebriated archetypes: the crier, the groper, the exhibitionist, the
sleeper and the fighter. "Obnoxious alter egos that can emerge after
one-too-many, and are instantly recognised by our target audience,"
according to Sandrine Huijgen, Global Communication Manager for
the Heineken brand.
After watching the archetypes getting themselves into serious
trouble, the video rewinds and a voice-over delivers the campaign's
pay off. "It could all have been different. When you know the signs,
you're going to have a great night out. Enjoy Heineken Responsibly."
Viewers are then invited to embarrass a friend by personalising
an irresponsible archetype with a picture of their pal. "This
personalisation tool should tempt people to confront their friends in a
relevant and non confrontational manner, thus spreading the message
further," Sandrine said.
Research has shown that twentysomethings are willing to critically
evaluate their own consumption of alcohol if challenged to do so in
a manner that is not overtly moralist. The same studies have shown
that consumers respect the fact that Heineken is promoting socially
responsible behaviour not necessarily in its own interest.
That conflict should not be overstated," said Melinda Eskell,
Manager Heineken Brand Communication. "It is also good to
stress that as a premium brand, we value quality over quantity,"
said Melinda.
The campaign is geared to fit the media consumption
patterns of a new generation and its main communicative
platforms are web-based. "The interactive nature of web-
based communication really gives our campaign an edge
over what the competition is doing. It also increases
the odds of the campaign having a significant effect,"
Melinda said.
www.knowthesigns.com
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