Heineken to Young Men of the World: Dance More, Drink Slow
The brand seeks to make moderation aspirational to men in their mid-20s in its Dance More, Drink Slow campaign, which includes videos and music.
Beer brand Heineken has launched Dance More, Drink Slow, a campaign in which it has partnered with Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren to make what it calls “moderate consumption aspirational.”
The so-called movement, which Heineken wants tagged across social media as #DMDS, is what the brand calls the “natural progression of Heineken’s belief that one should always be ready to maximize what the night brings.”
As of last Friday, the hashtag had been used about 2,000 times in its first few days, says Paul Smailes, Heineken’s global head of digital.
The campaign also includes a video, The Experiment, in which van Buuren DJs at a Miami nightclub and “demonstrates that when people take the focus off drinking, they will actually dance more and have a better night,” Heineken says.
As of January 10, The Experiment has about 348,000 views.
The video also features a new track from van Buuren, Save My Night, which is available as a separate video on YouTube, as well as on Spotify. Currently, the YouTube version has 158,000 views.
According to Anuraag Trikha, global marketing communications manager at Heineken, the brand had no editorial control over the song.
Dance More, Drink Slow also includes what Heineken calls a “refreshed” Sunrise TV spot, which first aired in 2011, and as Heineken puts it, “it brings to life the powerful idea that there are no limits when you know your limits” and “highlights that by enjoying Heineken in moderation, the drinker has the opportunity to engage with friends, meet new people and have a longer, more memorable night.”
Launching in more than 20 countries, Heineken says Dance More, Drink Slow builds on the brand’s Enjoy Heineken Responsibly message, which has been in place since 2004 through its sponsorship platforms such as UEFA Champions League, Rugby World Cup and music events including the Ultra and Coachella music festivals.
According to Trikha, the genesis of the campaign goes back to 2005 when Heineken turned the so-called “smiling E” from its name into a symbol with “enjoy responsibly” messaging.
The brand later came up with the insight that there are “no limits when you know your limits,” which, “started the train of events for us,” Trikha says. “That allowed us to come up with our whole line of thinking – our strategy to moderate drinkers – at Heineken, we believe if you’re moderate and can face yourself, you can have a great night out and gather all the opportunities the night offers you.”
The brand partnered with van Buuren because it wanted to “be where our target is” at nightlife hotspots and “find the most influential person in nightlife who can help us,” Trikha says.
In addition, van Buuren shares the brand’s values and has the same ambition to “make moderation cool,” he adds.
From here, Trikha says the brand will go around the world with van Buuren, using his shows to create a conversation whenever Save My Night is played. Trikha also hopes to create what he refers to as a “DMDS Moment” at midnight in clubs that serve Heineken in which they play the track and video and pass around water.
The program may also include a DJ challenge that seeks to “make people dance more and by default drink slow,” Trikha says.
“Our objective is to keep the conversation going at the moment and in places where it matters most like clubs and nightlife,” he adds.
In addition, for a safe ride home, Heineken also suggests downloading the Taxi Magic app.
