Heineken® Celebrates Thousands of ‘Real Hardcore Fans’ by Helping
Them Take Part in the UEFA Champions League Final Trophy
Celebrations For The First Time Ever
Tonight, Heineken® has created a way for thousands of ‘real
hardcore fans’ to take part in the UEFA Champions League Final
Trophy celebration, marking the culmination of the ‘Cheers To The
Real Hardcore Fans’ 2024 campaign.
Following the final whistle, Heineken®
engineered a clever way that truly immersed all ‘real hardcore
fans’ in the Trophy celebration. For the first time in the
competition’s history, real fans were part of the official Trophy
lift. Thousands of supporters were immortalised in the celebration
by being included in individual pieces of biodegradable confetti,
cascading from the sky, symbolising Heineken®'s commitment to
championing fan inclusion.
This season, Heineken® has been refreshing what
it means to be a ‘real hardcore fan’ by flipping stereotypes and
celebrating the diverse tapestry of football supporters worldwide.
The ‘Hardcore Celebration’ at the UEFA Champions League Final in
London marked the pinnacle moment of a season of honouring those
that go above and beyond to support the beautiful game.
Fans from around the world took the chance to be
part of this ‘Hardcore Celebration’ when the teams in the final had
been decided by submitting a selfie to Heineken®’s campaign
microsite. One lucky supporter that submitted an image was selected
to attend the UEFA Champions League Final with a friend.
After the images of these passionate fans’ faces
'brush' against the newly appointed champions at the Trophy lift,
and the confetti has been cleared away, those who took part will be
left with a photo of the celebration featuring their own face,
including them in UEFA Champions League history for the rest of
time, thanks to Heineken®.
Nabil Nasser, Global Head of Heineken®
Brand said:
“Tonight captures the essence of our campaign,
championing fan inclusion and diversity. It's about the unique,
sometimes quirky behaviours, the rituals, and the unwavering
passion that fans bring to the sport. Our campaign celebrates the
sport with its diverse stories and passions of our fans. We are
proud to have provided opportunities like the Hardcore Celebration
for fans to share their experiences and be part of this unique
journey.”
Virgil van Dijk, Captain of the
Netherlands National Men’s Team and Heineken® campaign Ambassador
said:
“Celebrating football’s unifying power, the
Hardcore Celebration is a testament to every fan who’s cheered,
celebrated or shed a tear for their team. Football belongs to
everyone, transcending backgrounds, and beliefs. Heineken®
celebrates this moment, spotlighting each fan’s face, because we
all contribute to football’s heart and soul.”
Heineken® has embodied this ‘real hardcore fans’
message through a global TV advert and digital content that shares
the authentic stories of our real fans: nuns serenading their
beloved team every Sunday and the fans who patiently waited until
3AM local time in an airport just to secure an autograph.
To further this fan inclusivity message,
Heineken® launched a competition at the beginning of the knock-out
stages, giving UEFA Champions League Final tickets away to fans
that shared their hardcore fan story. Heineken® also created the
Real Hardcore Fan Club, featuring true stories from fans from
across the globe, to shine a light on the unique passion that
unites real football fans across the globe.
Heineken® has been celebrating our real hardcore
fans through a series of activities this season, reinforcing the
idea that football is for everyone; including the LaundroMatch,
where Heineken® transformed 24-hour laundromats in Seoul into
all-night meeting places, providing South Korea’s most dedicated
football fans with an inclusive alternative to watching UEFA
Champions League matches alone. In Peru, Heineken® installed a
giant screen on the outside of a tower-block looking into an
office, so real hardcore fans did not have to miss the semi-final
UEFA matches because it was being shown during working hours.
At the UEFA Champions League Final Heineken® is showing its
dedication to championing real hardcore fans that demonstrate their
love for the game in quirky and authentic ways, by highlighting
Real Madrid fan, Jorge.
Jorge went viral on social media because he was
on a lucky phone call when his team scored the winning goal in the
semi-final. Heineken® is now giving fans from both teams in the
final the chance to have their luck by creating a phone number that
is active for the full 90 minutes, so they can Try Jorge’s luck by
making the call...
Heineken® will continue to challenge stereotypes
by putting real hardcore fans at the centre of its football
inclusivity campaigns celebrating the modern face of football
fandom into next season.
To learn more about today’s activities, visit:
https://www.heineken.com/global/en/confetti
To learn more about how Heineken® is helping to
refresh football perspectives and foster a more positive and
inclusive experience for all fans, visit:
https://www.heineken.com/realhardcorefans
Editorial information:
Please find the high-resolution campaign images: HERE
For more information, please contact:
HNKNFootball@edelman.com
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:
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Media ContactContact: Thomas Duggan &
Senior Account Manager Company: Edelman E-mail:
HNKNFootball@edelman.com
https://www.heineken.com/global/en/confetti
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9e3c1f09-8c0e-4270-bdc4-06fae3ffb805