Good Times Don't End with Dry January in Heineken Campaign Starring Gareth Bale
Publicis鈥oke has teamed up with Heineken 0.0 and football legend Gareth Bale to create a brand-new spot which focuses on the good times that going alcohol-free can bring 鈥 and how it doesn鈥檛 have to mean the end of your social life this January.
Created by Publicis鈥oke, 20鈥 spot 鈥楧on鈥檛 Bale on Your Mates鈥, sees a group of friends 鈥榖aling鈥 on their plans throughout the month, offering up fake excuses to avoid drinking. By the end, the group has realised they shouldn鈥檛 avoid having a good time just because they鈥檙e not drinking and one of them joins their friends in the local pub to enjoy a Heineken 0.0. They share a laugh whilst showing that they didn鈥檛 鈥楪areth Bale鈥 on their plans, only for the man himself to turn around in mock anger at the play on his name.
The idea behind the campaign comes from the insight that people are likely to make excuses to avoid going out. The concept of the work revolves around these excuses, often made up on the spot, before communicating to those who are trying to stay alcohol-free that they don鈥檛 need to avoid the pub 鈥 they can enjoy a Heineken 0.0 with friends.
The film will run in the UK on social-first cut-downs across Heineken鈥檚 social media channels, and aims to draw attention to what Heineken 0.0 enables you to do, not prevents you from 鈥 allowing people to keep meeting up and having fun without breaking any of their resolutions.
Chris Bruney, creative director at Publicis鈥oke, said, 鈥淓ven with the zero-alcohol category rising in popularity, there鈥檚 still a stigma to cutting back on drinking that causes people to make excuses to avoid being around alcohol. Publicis鈥oke worked with Heineken 0.0 to try to break that cycle whilst bringing a bit of humour to the conversation, and show people that they don鈥檛 have to 鈥楤ale鈥 on their mates just because they鈥檙e not drinking鈥.
Stephanie Dexter, brand director Heineken庐 at HEINEKEN UK commented, 鈥淭he alcohol-free category has always been about less, but we wanted to show with this campaign that Heineken 0.0 enables you to do more of what you love, like socialise with friends down the pub. With Heineken 0.0, you can keep your January resolutions and still be part of the fun. There is no need to Bale on social plans when you have the choice of low/no products鈥.
