On International Beer Day, Heineken® reminds us that socializing is the most important thing. With a campaign that carries the strong message "forget beer", they want to highlight the importance of quality socializing and happy moments.
Beer as an excuse to socialize
"Shall we go for a beer? Want to grab a beer? ¿Te apetece una cerveza? He va boire une bière?” - phrases that have become synonymous with spending time in good company. At Heineken®, they emphasize that friendly gatherings full of laughter and joy are more important than beer alone. Freddy Heineken, the founder of the legendary brand, once said: "I don't sell beer, I sell gezelligheid," which means good and pleasant moments in the company.
Celebration with forgotten beers
On International Beer Day, Heineken® produced a touching ad showing how parties, football celebrations or evenings in bars with 'forgotten beers' are proof that the gathering was truly successful. In the ad, enhanced by the soft tones of Debussy's Claire de Lune, we see how the best part of hanging out with a beer isn't the beer itself, but the moments we spend together.
The digital age and loneliness
In times of digital overload and longer working hours, socializing is becoming increasingly rare. A recent study showed that as much as a quarter of the world's population feels lonely. At Heineken®, they are aware of the importance of social connection and have long worked to encourage people to live a better social life. They presented last year 'The Boring Phone' – a phone without the internet and social networks to show how being digitally unburdened improves social experiences. In addition, they launched in 2022 "The Closer", a bottle opener that closes all work applications when opening a beer.
150 years of bringing people together
On the occasion of its 150th anniversary, Heineken® launched a global campaign that emphasizes that the most important thing is how we have fun with beer. They created "Good Times Index", which sets the conditions for really good moments. The campaign proves that the essence of the brand is in bringing people together and creating unforgettable moments.
Dolf van den Brink, CEO of Heineken®, said on this occasion: "On International Beer Day, we celebrate not only our beer, but above all the good moments we create in society. Cheers!" Willem van Waesberghe, master brewer, adds: "As a master brewer, I experience the extraordinary taste of our beer, but today it's about the special moments that surround drinking beer. Happy International Beer Day!”
