Kaiser Kick Off
Grand Partnerships
AROUND THE WORLD
World ofHeineken 42 - summer 2010
In March this year, the 13th Kaiser Amateur Soccer Cup kicked off
in the sixth largest city in the world, Sao Paulo, Brazil. More than
384 teams from all corners of this huge city are competing in two
series. In 2009, a record one-and-a-half million people watched
the matches, including over 15,000 for the final alone.
Marketing Director of Heineken Brasil, Riccardo Morici, highlights
the recent expansion of the cup into other states, providing
further exposure for the brand: "Curitiba (in the state of
Parana) and Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais) also organise a Kaiser
tournament and, at the end of the season, the champions from
each state play in the Kaiser Brasil Cup Finals in Sao Paulo."
A breeding ground for amateur soccer, the Kaiser Cup has
produced great talents in the sport, such as Ricardo Oliveira,
Kleber Boas, Zé Roberto, Serginho Chulapa, César Sampaio, among
others. In addition, it also makes a significant contribution towards
the sport's development.
The competition is sponsored by Kaiser, a brand acquired by
Heineken this year, following the acquisition of FEMSA's beer
operations in Latin America.
www.copakaiser.com.br
Heineken's John Smith's, the UK's number one ale, has a long
association with horse racing and has been sponsor of the
world's most famous horse race, the BBC-televised John
Smith's Grand National at Aintree since 2005.
In preparing the Liverpool racecourse for the big event, no
opportunity to display the John Smith's green, red and yellow
branding is missed. As Gareth Turner, Senior Brand Manager
for John Smith's, puts it, "We make sure the John Smith's
branding is visible at every jump and turn! This is a winning
combination. Racing fans like drinking ale and John Smith's
has been involved with horse racing for over 50 years."
This year, John Smith's introduced Smithy, the 'People's
Racehorse'. Thousands of pubs and clubs took part in a
promotion offering consumers the opportunity to purchase
a stake in a novice gelding. This new partnership has given
the many co-owners an insight into the journey Smithy and
his team have taken during the racing season. Smithy has his
own website, www.smithythehorse.com and fans can follow
his progress on Facebook.
Back in the spotlight, top British comedian, Peter Kay,
returned as the face of John Smith's advertising in May. Kay
starred in the hugely successful John Smith's No Nonsense
TV campaign from 2002 to 2005. Gareth enthuses: "Peter's
return to John Smith's advertising coincides with our
research that suggests the Great British public is recession-
weary and yearns for the return of the plain-speaking, no-
nonsense approach to life that Peter portrayed in previous
John Smith's commercials."
www.peoplesrace.com
Star comedian Peter Kay congratulates this year's
winner of the John Smith's Grand National
Twelve years of dedication to soccer: the
Kaiser Amateur Soccer Cup
2