Amsterdam 27 June 2011 - Heineken ® has scooped seven prestigious awards at the 2011 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, with Gold, Silver and Bronze Lions for the first two films of its new global 'Legends' brand campaign , its revolutionary StarPlayer game and for its cutting-edge UV Black Light STR bottle.
Within the Film category, "The Entrance" won a coveted overall Gold Lion award and a Bronze Lion in the Interactive Films division. Within the Film Craft category, "The Entrance" also won one of only two Gold Lions in the Direction division and a Silver Lion in the Best Use of Music division. "The Date" took home Bronze in the Film Category.
StarPlayer was awarded the only Gold Lion award in the mobile division of the Cyber category. The STR bottle completed Heineken's awards haul with a Silver Lion in the Special Editions and Promotional Packaging division of the Design category.
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is the world's biggest and most respected celebration of creativity in communications. At this year's event, more than 24,000 entries from all over the world were showcased and judged.
Alexis Nasard, Chief Commercial Officer at Heineken, commented: "Winning seven awards across the film, design and mobile categories is testament to the leading creative work that Heineken, and our agency partners are delivering. It is precisely this sort of creativity and desire to surprise our consumers that helps us to generate disproportionate share growth. Our vision, which has been recognised here in Cannes with these successes, is to ignite the conversation, not just be part of it."
The Date and The Entrance films, created by leading advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy, are the first instalments in Heineken's new creative brand campaign built around inspiring and enabling its drinkers to be 'Men of the World'. The Date officially premiered on the Heineken® YouTube channel and Facebook page in May and followed on from the Clio award-winning film The Entrance which launched globally in December 2010. The Entrance received more than 4 million hits on YouTube in the first three weeks of its release.
Launched back in April, Star Player is the hugely innovative live 'dual screen' football game that lets fans watch UEFA Champions League matches on television whilst playing it in real-time, on a computer, iPhone or iPod touch. Created and devised by digital agency AKQA, the game is a ground-breaking digital initiative which transforms TV watching into a social interactive experience for football fans.
Heineken's innovative STR bottle is the brand's newest high-end aluminium packaging and was designed by creative agencies DBOD and Iris as a fusion of design and innovation. Embedded within the silver portions of the STR bottle is an intricate pattern of spot-UV ink, invisible in daylight, which flares up under black light to reveal a bright glowing design of stars, swirls and trails on the bottle surface.
The bottle, which won a coveted IF Design Award in February and the Dieline award last week in Chicago, is currently available in exclusive bars and nightclubs in the USA, China, Italy and approximately 30 additional global markets.
For further information please contact:
Marnie Kontovraki
Heineken Brand Consumer PR Officer
Heineken International
T: + 31 (0) 20 52 39 355
E: Marnie.Kontovraki@heineken.com
Hollye Blades @ Pitch
T: + 44(0) 20 7494 1616
E: hollye.blades@pitch.co.uk
Notes to editors
The Heineken brand is sold in more than 170 countries around the world. Additional information is available on www.heineken.com and www.heinekeninternational.com.
The Date and The Entrance
· 'The Entrance' campaign (film, music video and character films) premiered on Heineken's Facebook fan page at the end of 2010 having been viewed by more than 900,000 Heineken fans.
· It has now received almost 5 million views from over 130 countries worldwide.
· The film launched on TV in Europe in February and was broadcast in North America in April 2011.
· The lead character of 'The Date' is Guillaume Dolmans, and his date is played by Samantha Rex.
· The commercial was shot at Le Meridien Hotel in Piccadilly, London, and the Rivoli Ballroom, in Lewisham, London.
· The soundtrack titled "Jaan Pehechaan Ho" was written and performed by Mohammed Rafi, the Hindi playback singer (1924 - 1980).
StarPlayer
The StarPlayer game is available to play on the Heineken Facebook page and download from the App Store for iPhone players in preparation for the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League season in September. Play the game for free at the following links:
· App store: www.itunes.com/appstore
· Facebook: www.facebook.com/heineken
STR Bottle
· It is Heineken's newest high-end aluminium packaging and is a fusion of design and innovation.
· Available only in exclusive bars and nightclubs, it fits perfectly with Heineken's overall strategy of introducing innovative, upscale and progressive experiences for its consumers.
· STR 'lights up the night' with its black light design : Embedded within the silver portions of the STR Bottle is an intricate pattern of UV-interactive ink which, when viewed under a black light, instantly flares up to reveal a bright glowing pattern of stars, swirls and trails.
