Malaysian Media Awards Winners Showcase

Challenge
“Open Your World” is Heineken’s new global communications platform. We had to bring this brand essence to life in Malaysia, particularly near the point of consumption, in a way that would enhance Heineken’s reputation as a pioneering beer brand.

Solution
Our research revealed that Heineken consumers constantly seek exciting experiences that are state-of-the-art, first-of-its-kind and chic. With this insight, we invented “Heineken The Opener” – Malaysia’s first-ever iPhone application that uses augmented reality integrated with GPS. Through the application, consumers could hunt for virtual Heineken bottles in pubs and bars, and open them to win prizes. This unique solution gave beer consumers a high- tech brand experience at the point of consumption.

Execution
To generate awareness, we deployed mass broadcasting across top website portals, social seeding and mobile advertising. These digital channels created buzz among Heineken advocates which then spread across the larger beer drinking community. When consumers used the application to open virtual bottles, they could collect points which encouraged them to repeat usage of the application and visit more outlets. All this was amplified through an automatic sharing function via Facebook and Twitter.

Results
The Opener was loved by all – over 30,000 sessions and 2,100 hours spent interacting with the cool application generated RM1mil of PR value. The popularity of the application resulted in 64% growth in Heineken’s brand affinity and increased 33% share-of-throat (monitored by TNS Brand Tracking System).