SHUTTER ADS

Short List
TitleSHUTTER ADS
BrandHEINEKEN
Product/ServiceSHUTTER ADS
Category A01. Consumer Goods
Entrant PUBLICIS ITALY Milan, ITALY
Idea Creation PUBLICIS ITALY Milan, ITALY
Production PRODIGIOUS ITALY Milan, ITALY
Production 2 JAJA FILM Barcelona, SPAIN
Production 3 TRESBIEN! Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Production 4 SIZZER AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Credits
Name Company Position
Bruno Bertelli Publicis Italy Global Chief Creative Officer Publicis WW
Cristiana Boccassini
 Publicis Italy Chief Creative Officer Publicis Italy
Mihnea Gheorghiu Publicis Italy Global Executive Creative Director Publicis Italy
Eoin Sherry Publicis Italy Global Creative Director
Michele Picci Publicis Italy Executive Creative Director
Andrea Sarcullo Publicis Italy Associate Creative Director – Art Director
Ruxandra Drilea Publicis Italy Senior Copywriter
Giuseppe Vescovi Publicis Italy Creative Supervisor
Rosario Floridia Publicis Italy Creative Supervisor
Alex Sinmaleza Publicis Italy Copywriter
Ivan Montebello Publicis Italy Art Director
Thomas Aito Publicis Italy Art Director
Margherita Teodori Publicis Italy Copywriter
James Moore Publicis Italy Global Strategy Director
Natasha Wallace Publicis Italy Strategy Director
David Pagnoni Publicis Italy Global Client Service Director
Eleni Charakleia Publicis Italy & Le Pub Le Pub Amsterdam GM & Global Client Services Director
Ilaria Lorenzetti Publicis Italy Client Service Director
Gonzalo Gutiérrez Publicis Italy Account Supervisor
Alessandra Granata Publicis Italy Account Director
Matteo Pellegrini Publicis Italy Account Executive
Alessandro Bochicchio Publicis Italy Head of Social Client Services and Strategy
Carola Bracci Publicis Italy Senior Social Media Manager
Francesca Zazzera Publicis Italy Head TV Production
Alessandra Caldi Publicis Italy Tv Producer
Lorenzo Casati Publicis Italy Editor
Tommaso Bianchi Publicis Italy Director
Davide Pini Prodigious Italy Color Grading
Tina Paolella Prodigious Production e Print Manager
Daniela Inglieri Prodigious Production e Print Manager

Why is this work relevant for PR?

To help struggling bars Heineken shifted the way they program media buying, redirecting their budget from outdoors, to the shutters most famous and loved bars across the world. 7.5 million euros went directly to 5000+ bars worldwide. The ads displayed messages of support like “See this ad today, enjoy this bar tomorrow”, reassuring consumers that their favorite bars will be back in business. 100% of bars in the initiative reopened. Shutter Ads brought in 40% more media value than the traditional OOH, making it the most successful outdoor media campaign for Heineken. More bars are joining in every week.

Background

The on-trade is one of Heineken’s biggest partners. But during the pandemic it was struggling like never before, forced to close their shutters for an extended period of time. Bars’ losses were Heineken’s losses too, with expert predictions showing that 60% of businesses won’t recover financially after the pandemic. Bars need to be in business to survive, so what if their closed shutters could help them open again?

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Shutter Ads turned bars’ closed shutters into a new media space for Heineken. By simply redirecting the existing media budget from outdoors to bars’ shutters and displaying messages of hope, bars got the support they needed when they weren’t making any revenue and consumers were reassured that their favorite bars will be back in business.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Covid hit Heineken hard. Beer is a seasonal drink and with the lockdown Heineken had lost almost 70% of its revenue, primarily due to missed sales in the off-trade. It was also losing top of mind awareness and consideration to buy. However, it had hit bars and restaurants far worse. With the lockdowns, bars were losing revenue, up to 60% of bars were due to close and people were forgetting about their local hangouts. Heineken is a close partner of its off-trade, and they needed help. If we could help bars, we would also help ourselves by keeping the brand top of mind. With Shutter Ads, we were able to stretch our OOH budget and earn significant PR attention for both ourselves and the bars.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Heineken shifted the way they program media buying, redirecting the existing media budget from outdoors around the world, to the shutters of over 5000 of the most famous and loved bars around the world in Argentina - Buenos Aires, La Plata, Rosario, Córdoba, Mar del Plata, Spain - Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Bilbao, Cádiz, Italy - Milan, Germany - Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Münich. Each bar received a bespoke ad created for their shutters and was displayed for 24/7. Amstel and Cruzcampo, other Heineken owned brands, joined the initiative to support bars and soon enough even other brands - Guinness and Paulaner adopted the idea, united for the love of bars.

List the results (30% of vote)

What started out as a helpful initiative, became a new, sustainable platform in the time and in the space it was needed the most, with more bars joining in every week. 7.5 million euros went directly to bars. The investment generated a great deal of media and PR attention: Shutter Ads brought in 40% more media value than the traditional OOH, and 100% of bars in the initiative reopened, making customers happy around the world.