The New York Times (free registration) offers an in depth look at Heineken’s $50 million campaign to launch Heineken Premium Light.
Much of the money will be spent online. To reach the intended audience of drinkers — mostly men ages 25 to 29 — Heineken USA will unleash a barrage of advertising on sites like espn.com, foxsports.com, maximcom, msn.com, stuffmagazine.com and yahoo.com. The company will also put up a separate site, heinekenlight.com, on Wednesday to complement sites for its two other brands.
The Times reports:
To woo the younger male consumers of domestic light beers, the Heineken Premium Light campaign will focus on a core attribute, smoothness. The initial ads carry headlines like “Someone smooth is waiting at the bar,” “Meet someone smooth tonight” and “Succumb to smooth.”
The goal is to entice the light beer drinker with “the notion of something a little better, a little more exciting,” said Ewen Cameron, chief executive and executive creative director at Berlin Cameron United in New York.
“It’s a relationship metaphor,” Cameron said, adding: “We talked to light beer drinkers in their late 20’s who said there’s nothing wrong with light beer, but there’s a kind of settling for it. They’re happy, but the grass is a little greener on the other side. The ‘luxury light’ idea is an exciting notion.
Who said there’s nothing wrong with light beer?
I had the light Heineken beer last nite, before going to the Billy Joel concert at the Garden (NYC). I was pleasantly suprised. I’m not a huge fan of light beer, as much as I am of Heineken. This is definitely not a case of, If it ain’t broke; don’t fix… This beer is really good.
I Fell in love with heineken light when I saw the bottle. When I tasted it I was blown away.
I don’t like Sam’s light, and Amstel never really appealed to me.
Growing up we used to think becks and St Pauli girl were “great” beers.
This is where I learned to appreciate “skunkieness” HL has a nice mild skunky bouquet, and feels like a full flavor brew.
Honestly after trying this I must say that I think it is the best light beer available. Period.
Heineken has created a new genre of beer, the “premium” light beer. and in doing so crowned themselves king. Much like Napoleon.
HL does it right. In very real terms the bouquet is light and sweet with skunky bite to it, on the pallet clean and fresh with plenty of taste. The finish is meaningful and reminiscent. Overall for a light beer, excellent.
Heineken could have saved $50 million. I tried it ’cause I’ve been a Heineken fan for a long time and one taste told me I’d finally found a light beer worthy of the name ‘beer’.
I think it tastes terrible.
I love Heineken Light. All other light beers tast like water but this has a taste much like the regular Heineken. I am sold!!!