How Insight Publicis’ new campaign drives equity, new markets for beer brand

Insight Publicis has been able to reenact the usually high standard of Heineken’s global campaigns in a way that excites and resonates with Nigerian consumers across board. The 58 seconds commercial- Villager- that features Jidenna, the Nigerian-born international act, is Heineken’s first ‘glocalised’ commercial.

Since its launch, the campaign has triggered an outpouring of positive feedback with many commenting on how the brand has connected with them and now they can relate better with it. This aspect of relatability was the missing link in previous global campaigns. And because of the success of the campaign, Heineken is in the process of rolling-out the same commercial in 15 other African markets where the premium brand has presence.

Amidst declining sales from last year, Heineken wanted a commercial to recruit and retain younger drinkers between ages 18-24 and regain five per cent of the lapsed drinkers that represent the 25-34 age groups. But all these were to be done within the brand’s global thematic parameter of internationality, tradition and its natural ingredients.

Sinmisola Hughes-Obisesan, Insight Publicis’ Creative Director, noted, “Insight Publicis was tasked with creating a locally relevant thematic campaign for the Heineken brand. We dug deep to search for insights that would resonate and in execution, topped it off with Heineken-style wit blended with classic Naija-isms.”

But more importantly, the ad was supposed to highlight the parallels between the world’s most international brand and Nigerians.

According to Hughes-Obisesan, the commercial was the brand’s way of celebrating the Nigerian spirit by highlighting specifically the three qualities Heineken and Nigerians share in common, which are global presence, quality and family values.

Heineken is available in 192 countries, celebrated for its unraveled quality. And of course, the high family values shared by Nigerians is also the core attribute of Heineken because it is a family-owned brand that understands the importance of family and traditional roots.

All these values are also embodied by the campaign’s lead act, Jidenna, who, like Heineken, is international in stature and still in tune with family roots and tradition just like Heineken.