Battling beers continue to duke it out post-Cup
From a marketing perspective, the battle between All Blacks sponsors Steinlager and RWC sponsors Heineken was one of the most enthralling. Steinlager played the local card very well with its savvy ‘We Believe’ and Heineken played the international card with ‘This is the Game’. And both parties are keeping the marketing momentum going.
Steinlager couldn’t have asked for a more fitting finale to DDB’s well-received campaign. And the on-field denouement has led to the release of a new 15-second spot celebrating the victory with the ceremonial opening of a white can. Hopefully the authorities can look past the fact that it’s actually endorsing the consumption of a 24-year-old beverage.
PR Shop’s Alysha Dingle says 320,000 dozen have been sold so far, which is about 85 percent of what was produced. Steinlager expects the rest to sell out quickly in the next few weeks.
“It’s captured about a 1.3 percent share of grocery, so sits well inside the Top 20 beer SKUs and is the biggest can SKU in the market. It has driven about 1.5 million litres of incremental sales to Steinlager. So a big success.”
As for Heineken, it went Super-Bowl style on Sunday during the final by showing ‘The Entrance’ and launching the brand’s new global tagline ‘Open Your World’. It also signed on again as the official beer supplier of the RWC for the 2015 tournament in England.
The campaign, which was created by Wieden+Kennedy in Amsterdam, has already launched overseas but Heineken New Zealand decided to hold off in New Zealand to “provide clear space and a fresh platform”.
“The commercial [which won several awards at the 2011 Cannes Lions] has already had one million hits on YouTube and won over more than two million international Heineken fans on Facebook,” says Heineken’s marketing manager Luke Rive. “After showcasing the campaign during the RWC 2011 final it will continue to air on New Zealand television as well as on the local Heineken website.”
For each of the 11 characters the distinguished gentleman in the ad meets, there are back stories that explain how they know each other. They can be viewed at www.heineken.com/nz.
Like it is
October 25, 2011
Steinlager win this battle hands down.
Odd
October 25, 2011
Steinlager wins by a long, long way.
The Heineken 'This is the game' ad was awful.
Obviously made by people who'd never played or watched rugby, it was bland, cliche-ridden and incredibly boring. It's what Telecom would make if they made beer.
Steinlager's was a really clever way of getting round the sponsorship thing.
Vic
October 25, 2011
I can't even remember the Heineken ad whereas the Steinlager campaign seemed to be everywhere.
Maria
October 25, 2011
Steinlager, risky 'we believe' strategy but worth it in the end and totally memorable. I don't drink beer but if I did I would have raised a Steinlager!
Smithy
October 25, 2011
Steinlager. Because it tastes better.
LT
October 26, 2011
WIN for Steinlager. Any outfit that uses pounds in its weight measurements has no grasp.
Ange
October 26, 2011
Heineken was create by a Dutch ad agency and shot in NZ. Interestingly out of the same Agency as Nike Write the Future. Go figure.