Heineken kicks off global digital pitch

By Sara Kimberley, campaignlive.co.uk, Thursday, 29 November 2012 08:00AM

Heineken International is holding a global pitch to find an agency to create a new digital platform for its flagship beer brand.

Heineken: recent digital work includes ‘crack the code’, which promotes its tie-up with Skyfall

It is believed that Creativebrief is handling the review.

The lager giant will add the appointed agency to its global roster as one of its lead digital shops. The platform is expected to focus initially on Heineken, but could be rolled out across other brands such as Strongbow, Foster’s and Kronenbourg 1664.

One agency source suggested that Heineken is seeking to build a stronger e-commerce presence through the pitch.

Heineken works with a number of agencies in the UK and globally, including AKQA, Lean Mean Fighting Machine and Iris Worldwide. Wieden & Kennedy handles Heineken’s global ad account. It is understood that its incumbent shops will not be affected by the review.

The company will look to emulate the success of previous digital projects including the Star Player, which was launched by AKQA last year as a dual-screen football game that fans could play while watching the Uefa Champions League.

Heineken has ramped up its digital activity over the past few years. In September, it launched a TV and digital campaign called "crack the case", starring the new Bond girl, Berenice Marlohe, as part of its sponsorship of the latest 007 film, Skyfall.

The ad, created by Wieden & Kennedy, opened with Marlohe inviting the viewer on to a train that takes a voyage through a spectacular vista of snowy mountains. A series of gruelling tests were then put to the viewer, leading them to "crack the case".

This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk