Why Heineken Is Encouraging People to Drink Less

January 13, 2016, 10:14 PM UTC
Heineken NV Revenue And Volume Improves More Slowly Than Anticipated
A bottle of Heineken beer, produced by Heineken NV, is arranged for a photograph in Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013. Heineken NV, the worlds third-biggest brewer which makes beverages including Amstel and Sol, had said in April that revenue and volume would improve this year more slowly than previously anticipated. Photographer: Ron Antonelli/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Photograph by Ron Antonelli — Bloomberg via Getty Images

Heineken’s new ad campaign, “Moderate Drinkers Wanted,” warns men that binge drinking is unattractive.

A commercial launched on Wednesday shows women leaving the bar at the end of a night out to go home. They pass by men who have passed out from drinking too much as they sing Bonnie Tyler’s “I Need a Hero.” The camera then turns to a female bartender offering a male patron another Heineken. He refuses the drink and walks away as she gazes at him longingly, either because he forgot to pay or because she’s attracted to his self-control.

 

The commercial suggests that women are looking for men who limit their alcohol intake. Heineken (HKHHF) launched this campaign in response to research conducted by Canvas8 that found millennials to be focused on responsible drinking. The study polled 5,000 subjects in five countries aged between 21 and 35 years old.

About three quarters of respondents said they limit their drinking most nights they go out, while 38% said they do so every single time. The main incentive for over half of those who restrain their alcohol consumption is to avoid “losing control.”

 

“This study shows responsibility is becoming an active — and attractive — choice for a motivated generation who want to stay in control,” Nuno Teles, Heineken’s chief marketing officer, said in a press release. “Drinking responsibly enables millennials to shape their own reputation and make the best of every opportunity that comes their way.”

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