For many people, alcoholic beverages go hand in hand with summer fun, giving alcohol advertisers a prime opportunity to reach audiences with strategic product placement. To create meaningful connections with consumers and position their brands as trustworthy and authentic ahead of the summer heat and increased outings, Heineken, Hennessy and Anheuser-Busch launched new digital initiatives with corporate social responsibility (CSR) at the forefront.
Heineken Partners With Waze To Discourage Drunken Driving
Heineken launched a new campaign with Waze, discouraging drunken driving and, instead, encouraging drinking in moderation (without driving). The Heineken x Waze initiative, which will run throughout the summer for California drivers, displays mobile ads to consumers using the Waze app when they “enter a destination in the GPS-enabled mapping app that is likely to be a place where alcohol is consumed.” These locations can encompass social settings like restaurants or sports stadiums. Upon arrival, Waze displays “when you drive, never drink” alongside a redeemable free Uber ride for users to access at the end of their night.
Marketing Dive reporter Asa Hiken notes that, through this partnership, Heineken is “leveraging Waze’s in-app mobile ad offering to strengthen its standing as a brand that cares about responsible drinking.” Adding, “The tie-up also arrives as more brands, especially in the alcohol industry, are preparing for consumers’ return to pre-pandemic lifestyles.”
Heineken’s partnership with Waze is the latest effort the beer brand made to promote responsible drinking. Recently, the beer brand’s parent company, Heineken N.V., shared that it will be devoting 10% of the brand’s media spend to “responsible consumption campaigns for Heineken,” according to the Heineken Sustainability and Responsibility landing page.
Hennessy & The NBA Support Minority-Owned Small Businesses
Hennessy is continuing its work to support minority-owned small businesses through its latest campaign, “Make Moves That Start Movements,” in partnership with the NBA. The campaign ads are airing throughout the 2021 NBA Playoffs, across social media and on popular alcohol delivery services like Drizly. As part of the “Make Moves That Start Movements” initiative, Hennessy is also featuring a film that the cognac brand says “depicts the journey of a basketball to demonstrate the places the game can take us, before pivoting to shine a light on communities that are moving the culture forward.”
The campaign is an extension of Hennessy’s previously established Unfinished Business platform, which “provides immediate relief and long-term support to Black, Asian and Latinx small-business owners.” Hennessy is leveraging NBA star power to further promote its efforts, noting in its official press release, “A key aspect in this effort is a multi-year, league-wide partnership that will extend the reach of Unfinished Business and include league-specific activations.” SVP of Hennessy U.S., Jasmin Allen, added, “What the NBA brings us is the opportunity to engage with our target consumer base, but also be able to connect with people who may not be in our target.”
Hennessy’s Unfinished Business platform calls specific attention to the “worsened inequities” minority small-business owners experienced due to the pandemic, noting on the platform’s landing page that “in the era of COVID-19, these individuals are fighting harder than ever against a range of inequalities that stand in their way.”
Anheuser-Busch Aids In Country’s Recovery Through COVID Vaccine Awareness
Through its new advertising campaign, “Let’s Grab A Beer, America.” Anheuser-Busch is using its platform to educate and encourage consumers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Centered around the anticipation of a “return to normalcy,” the Anheuser-Busch initiative includes the launch of new “digital vaccine trackers,” providing “real-time information on vaccine distribution to educate local communities and inspire conversation.”
As part of the campaign, Anheuser-Busch also launched out-of-home (OOH) activations around the country, promotions across social media platforms and a creative ad spot depicting day-to-day activities that consumers are eager to get back to after more than a year of the coronavirus pandemic. The beer brand is placing a strong emphasis on vaccine promotion and ad placement in the Southeast, specifically, as this region has shown lower rates of fully vaccinated people.
“‘Let’s Grab A Beer’ is one of many initiatives Anheuser-Busch is currently backing as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to playing an active role in the country’s recovery, while also using the power of its brands to help uplift the bar & restaurant community, the heart and soul of the industry,” the beer brand shared in its official press release.
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