- Heineken 0.0, the non-alcoholic beer brand, is bringing its simulated mobile racing competition, “Player 0.0,” to the U.S., per a press release. The move is an element of Heineken’s larger efforts to promote secure driving.
- The initiative, which has already been running in markets including Brazil, Canada and the Netherlands, pits players against top-tier drivers in an immersive game of speed and skill where secure driving is paramount. The game is designed to reinforce the brand’s “When You Drive, Never Drink” campaign.
- To promote each the mobile game competition and the broader safe-driving campaign, Heineken 0.0 has enlisted F1 champion driver Max Verstappen to appear in an ad promoting the non-alcoholic beer.
Heineken isn’t any stranger to using gaming to promote its products to younger consumers who’ve shown an affinity for the hobby. The beer maker previously created a matchmaking platform to connect gamers and a PC-beer fridge combo. The trend continues with the “Player 0.0” initiative, which has already been successful in Brazil, Canada and the Netherlands, and is now coming to the U.S.
The mobile-minded competition asks participants to register at an internet site where they will play the game. Unlike traditional racing games, where the player with the fastest time earns probably the most points, the item of Player 0.0 is to be the very best driver by avoiding obstacles and driving safely. (The game ends if the player crashes.)
The competition’s top six players will earn a likelihood to compete within the Player 0.0 U.S. Finals in October. The winner of that competition will head to Madrid for the Global Finals, competing against champions from all over the world. At that event, champions could have a possibility to meet F1 champion racer Verstappen, an envoy on the hassle.
“We consider entertainment and community can influence secure driving and moderate drinking,” said Heineken USA CMO Jonnie Cahill, in a press statement. “We are thrilled to bring the joy of the Player 0.0 gaming platform to the states, to meet our customers where they’re, embrace the fun and excitement of gaming, and remind them the very best driver is the one who shouldn’t be drinking.”
The safe-driving message is reinforced through a spot featuring Verstappen. In the business, a bunch of friends at a bar designate the evening’s driver by confirming who amongst their group is the very best behind the wheel. (No surprise: it’s Verstappen.) The scenario continues on several other occasions until Verstappen is shown with a beer in his hands, at which point the very best driver is set to be the one not drinking. The twist within the ad comes when Verstappen shows he’s drinking Heineken 0.0, a non-alcoholic beer, and might still drive himself home.
Since debuting in 2017, Heineken 0.0 has received heavy marketing investment, helping push it to the highest of the non-alcoholic category as more consumers, including young consumers, embrace a sober lifestyle. The brand has been a part of the largest promoting events, including the past few Super Bowls, and had a heavy presence at this 12 months’s U.S. Open. Heineken has also worked hard to appeal to consumers by being part of popular culture touchstones, partnering with Marvel’s Ant-Man movie franchise and sponsoring segments on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
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