The Italian job
For most marketing
professionals, a campaign
website receiving 2.24
million unique visitors in
just a few weeks would set
their pulses racing. But for
Heineken, this impressive
result was just the tip of
the iceberg. The company's
UEFA Champions League
sponsorship is a winner on
many levels and innovation
is key.
World of Heineken 42 - summer 2010
Sponsoring
the Good
Life
In 2010, for the fifth consecutive year,
Heineken was proud to sponsor the UEFA
Champions League. The competition
showcases the best players, the best clubs
and some of the most passionate fans in
football. With coverage available in over 220
countries worldwide, it has become a truly
global phenomenon.
The prestigious event is a natural fit for the
world's most international premium beer
brand, available in virtually every country.
Tim Ellerton, International Sponsorship
Manager for Heineken explains: "Being
involved with a world-class sporting event
like the UEFA Champions League provides a
fantastic opportunity to directly reach our
consumers via their passions. Apart from
the obvious connection to our target group
- 83% of adult football fans drink beer - the
UEFA Champions League is visible in over 220
countries and territories, so it covers all of
the markets where Heineken® is poured."
The UEFA Champions League is the brand's
largest sponsorship and the media coverage
is massive. It is generated mostly via on-
pitch boards visible during every match
broadcast (legal restrictions permitting) as
well as special sponsorship break bumpers -
the ten seconds of airtime before and after
each commercial break in all official UEFA
Champions League broadcasts. So what sort
of numbers are we talking about? "The UEFA
Champions League has a total audience of
over four billion viewers per year," says Tim.
Imagine the dilemma: it is the most
important UEFA Champions League (UCL)
football match of the year and you have
been pressured by your boss or girlfriend
to go and see a string quartet concert on
the same night. You end up in the plush
chair of a concert hall instead of at home,
with friends, in front of the TV with a
Heineken®. This is exactly what happened
to some 1,000 A.C. Milan supporters last
October. Imagine their surprise when,
after ten minutes, the quartet started
playing the UCL anthem, and the match
was projected onto a giant video wall.
The 'concert' was a huge set-up,
organised by Heineken Italia. Proving
the power of innovative advertising, it
sparked massive media coverage. Only
two weeks after posting the 'Auditorium'
film on YouTube, more than 38,000
viewings were recorded. That number has
grown to over one million. 'Auditorium'
has won numerous advertising awards,
including Silver at the 2010 International
Andy Awards in New York. It ties in with
Heineken's current 'Are You Still With Us'
campaign which aims to keep consumers
surprised. See www.areyoustillwithus.com
for more information.
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