AMSTERDAM, June 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heineken®, one of the world’s most recognised beer brands, is today marking its 150th anniversary with an unconventional celebration of the many ways the brand has been nicknamed, misspelled or mis-served over the years, all to showcase how good times and sparking true connections over a beer are, in the end, what matters most.

Freddy Heineken’s famous words “I don’t sell beer, I sell gezelligheid” have never rung so true. “Gezelligheid” translated is that feeling of good times, something that has been at the heart of the Heineken® brand for the last 150 years. To celebrate this milestone anniversary, Heineken® is putting good times front and centre of its global birthday festivities.

Of course, good times have changed over the 150 years of Heineken®’s existence and will continue to do so, but their importance in people’s lives have not. Recognising this and as part of the anniversary celebration, the Heineken® brand has worked with academics to better understand the ingredients that are needed to deliver that feeling of “good times” in the modern day; a surprisingly under-studied human need.

Marking a turning point in the brand’s history, Heineken® has decided to evolve the way it measures success – focusing not just on the volume of beer it sells but also the good times it delivers for its customers in over 190 countries.  

To do this, Heineken® has collaborated with behavioural scientist Dr Chris Brauer, Goldsmiths, University of London, to create the 'Good Times Index', a new brand measurement model which will score the brand’s contribution to creating the perfect conditions for good times. Through human behavioural research, the index has identified five core conditions that people universally need to experience good times, including open-mindedness, inclusivity, and human connection:

With the Good Times Index in place, Heineken® is staying true to its vision by becoming the first beer brand to officially have “delivering good times” as part of the way it measures its annual performance – alongside sales and other brand tracking metrics. 

Bram Westenbrink, Global Head, Heineken® Brand, said: “Brewing good times has been in our DNA for 150 years. That is why we are evolving our brand metrics to show that creating good times is equally as important as the beer we produce. By better understanding the conditions behind good times in today’s world, we can continue to create experiences for all our global customers that promote that feeling of gezelligheid – whether that is through the messages in our advertising, our sponsorships and events or of course our range of products including our non-alcoholic Heineken® 0.0 or our more modern flavoured Heineken® Silver. It is our goal that we will continue to deliver good times, one way or another, for the next 150 years and beyond.” 

Dr Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation at Goldsmiths, University of London, said: “When we came to this project, we recognised that the understanding of what makes a good time, required a new and fresher perspective. Together with Heineken®, we have worked to better understand the multiple dimensions that make up that feeling of “Good Times”, and the ways in which it is experienced today. Good times are not just one thing or another, they are a multitude of different and subjective feelings, experiences, wants and needs that help generate a sensation and fulfil higher order needs. There has never been a more important time or opportunity to measure the role and prevalence of good times in our lives, so I’m excited to see a brand like Heineken® take serious steps to ensure that they are better understanding and enabling that feeling of “gezelligheid”.”

RESEARCH UNDERSTANDING ‘GOOD TIMES’ AROUND THE WORLD

Heineken’s® inaugural results from the Good Times Index comes at an important moment socially around the world, as 87% of consumers believe it is more important now than ever for them to have a good time. But one thing that is consistent, is that good times are best enjoyed together.

Additional consumer research from Heineken® shows that 82% care more about being with friends than if their night goes to plan. Surprisingly, 75% of respondents believe that the people you watch a sport match with is more important than if your team wins.

Despite the fact 87% of respondents believe opportunities to connect in person with loved ones have become even more important since the pandemic, over half (61%) agreed that given the current economic climate, they would be more likely to work overtime and sacrifice social moments with friends and family.

Nevertheless, many remain open-minded about good times ahead, with the vast majority (88%) agreeing their best memories come from unexpected moments. This open-mindedness follows through into the ways we socialise, as 78% agree it is important to socialise with people that don’t always share the same views as them – a sentiment most strongly held in Brazil (84%) and the UK (81%).

HEINEKEN® ACTIVITY CELEBRATING H150

To help bring the brand’s commitment to good times to life, the anniversary’s tongue-in-cheek ATL campaign takes viewers on a journey around the globe to embrace all the different ways people adapt and enjoy social moments and memories with Heineken® - ranging from an incorrectly spelt tattoo of the logo to a Heineken® Original being served with a lime, straw and ice. The light-hearted video sees the brewer celebrate the good times it provides – even if the way consumers spell or enjoy it isn’t 100% correct or as originally intended.   

To further poke fun at itself, Heineken® will replace its logo with a number of alternative spellings it has seen over the years, appearing across all of Heineken’s® social media accounts and website pages, as well as on several new electric lorries.  

The full video, developed by creative agency Le Pub Milan is available to watch online: HERE. 

Editorial information:

Please find the high-resolution campaign images of the collaboration and campaign here.

For more information, please contact: hnknbrand@edelman.com or +447580979333.

About HEINEKEN:
HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken® brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution, and focused cost management. Through 'Brewing a Better World', sustainability is embedded in the business.

HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We employ over 85,000 employees and operate breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY).

Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN's website: www.theHEINEKENcompany.com and follow us on Twitter via @HEINEKENCorp.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d1e42fe2-94d7-4137-bdb0-866b4a6fea23

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/155922eb-bea4-402f-9e2b-01709537630d

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e5890685-6de4-4f50-97e0-18df342c03d9

The photos are also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.