Part of the industry
Sheltering Fans
from Fickle Weather
Escenario Verde is FIB
Heineken's main stage
World of Heineken 40 summer 2009
SPAIN:
The Festival Internacional de Benicassim
Fleineken, or FIB Fleineken, as the Spanish
festival is known, drew over 160,000 visitors
last summer. The visitors drank 200,000 litres
of Heineken® during the four days the festival
lasted, while enjoying indie-style artists. This
year The Killers, Franz Ferdinand and Kings of
Leon will be amongst the festival's headlining
acts.
Heineken Spain is also the main sponsor of
Heineken Jazzaldia, the oldest urban music
festival in Spain, which has been bringing the
likes of Miles Davis, Joe Cocker, Van Morrison
and Ella Fitzgerald to the beaches of San
Sebastian since 1965.
In Spain as elsewhere, Heineken picks its
festival partners with care. "We try to support
events that people who know their music
enjoy," says Gonzalo. "We support the better-
known non-mainstream bands, rather than
fringe or very underground stuff. I guess you
could say that international indie is a good
match for Heineken®."
Heineken has been title sponsor of both the
FIB Heineken and Heineken Jazzaldia festivals
since 2000 as part of its music strategy. "We
try to be more than a sponsor though," says
Gonzalo. Heineken likes to be active at the
festivals in a way that fans can appreciate.
Mainly this involves close attention to the
details. "Things can get pretty packed at the
Escenario Verde [Green Stage], which is where
the headlining acts perform," says Gonzalo,
"so really good bar service is essential."
At both festivals, Heineken sets up seaside
'Green-TV' video displays, so people on the
beach can enjoy the acts as well. A free bus
service running between the FIB Heineken
festival and the town of Benicassim ensures
that fans can enjoy Heineken® responsibly.
Heineken also helps to get the word out about
both festivals, says Gonzalo. "We run ads in
music and lifestyle magazines, and we do
promotions at retail and on trade outlets. We
even have a sponsored programme on TV
devoted to our music sponsorships. This is
because we really want to see both festivals
grow."
Heineken's large communication resources
offer something to the festivals that other
sponsors can't, Gonzalo explains. "Heineken's
relationship with the festivals is almost a
decade old now, and the Spanish music world
is starting to value us as a solid partner," he
says. "Now they see us as a valuable part of
the local festival industry."
IRELAND:
In Ireland, Heineken is the title sponsor
of Oxegen, one of Europe's largest music
festivals. This festival is held just a short drive
from Dublin. Last year's edition, the fourth in
the series so far, featured a stellar range of
great artists including the Chemical Brothers,
Amy Winehouse and REM. Oxegen also
features up-and-coming artists and acts like
MGMT and Vampire Weekend, who are now hit
radio staples but played to small but clued-up
crowds in 2008, only months away from their
big breakthroughs. This eclectic line-up, which
caters to all tastes, is what makes Oxegen
unique.
Here as in Spain, Heineken rolls in teams of
draught-technicians before the festival kicks
off to ensure that fans get the best quality pint
of Heineken®. Of course, a cold glass of beer
isn't the only creature comfort festival-goers
enjoy at Oxegen. Last year, Heineken made
the whole experience even more enjoyable by
introducing the Greenspace venue.
"Heineken Greenspace allowed music fans
to relax and enjoy their festival experience
without having to miss out on any of the
action," says David Moore, Sponsorship
Brand Manager for Heineken Ireland. The
Greenspace itself is a large tent with a
large Heineken bar and a number of videos
displaying the action on one of the festival's
main stages. "We have everything you could
possibly want in this Heineken area," says
David.
Aside from a plentiful supply of Heineken®,
the Greenspace features a seating area -
quite a rare commodity at festivals. It also
offers shelter from the Irish weather, which
can be unpredictable. Fans are able to enjoy
interviews with their favourite bands while
lounging in cosy chairs and enjoying a beer
during the quieter hours of the festival"It
was a refreshing break from the excitement
at Oxegen 2008," is how Steve Murray, one of
last year's visitors, remembers it.
The Heineken Green Synergy Final in
Jamaica, October 2008
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