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With Ads of the Weird, MSNBC.com takes a look at some of the oddest, most eye-catching, controversial and just plain interesting advertising out there today. Primary writer Allison Linn covers the retail and advertising industries for MSNBC.com. The Ads of the Weird team is always interested in hearing what ads have caught your attention, whether it's online, on television or in print.


This time, Heineken shares a good commercial

Posted: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 3:00 AM by Allison Linn
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Heineken was rightly chided last fall for producing a commercial that managed to be stupid, sexist and an assault on our eardrums -- quite a feat considering the strong competition for such honors in the lowbrow world of beer advertising.

But now, the beer company is redeeming itself. Heineken Premium Light’s "Share the Good" commercial may not be the most original idea, but the execution is a fun, refreshing break from your standard American beer commercial (twentysomething guys goof off in some beer-related way; insert logo here).

Heineken’s commercial begins with a hipster walking across the desert to deliver a beer to a couple in a hot tub. Next, the couple is giving a beer to a young woman, who traipses through the snow to give the beer to a bearded cabin dweller with an excellent laugh, who then goes on to an Indian celebration, and so on.

Image: Heineken ad
Heineken

Heineken is far from the first company to capitalize on instant globetrotting, multiculturalism or the pleasures of sharing with strangers. But, thanks to smart casting and an insanely catchy song by Chris Knox, they manage to do it better than a lot of their competitors.

In this cynical era in which backstabbing your friends, celebrating your selfishness and subjecting people degrading high jinks are usually played for laughs, it’s actually pretty risky to trot out a commercial that rejoices, with no trace of irony, in a "We Are the World" world. That’s especially true when the reminder that sharing is good -- something many people forget after they leave preschool -- is being used as a hook to sell beer.

And that may be the ad’s Achilles heel. While the commercial is fun to watch and nice to listen to, it’s easy to forget that the company is hawking middle-of-the-road beer. We like seeing ballerinas and barflies make an unlikely connection, but we’re not sure either is a Heineken drinker.

Click here to see the TV ad directly, or click here for the whole campaign.

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Comments

First of all, the song in that commercial may be the worst noise ever produced.  2nd of all, the commercial itself is a jumbled mess.  I'm a beer drinker.  I've enjoyed Heineken.  But that commercial makes me change the channel when it comes on. I'm switching to Beck's.

Matthew Walker, Whittier, CA (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 9:40 AM)

I'd like to give the world a beer, in perfect harmony.

Lambo (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 10:03 AM)

I see the ad as one person passing an undrinkable beer to another person who passes it to another person because they wouldn't drink it, who passes it to another person.....and on and on...until it ends up with the guy who started it and he's still looking for someone to take this extraordinarily bad beer off his hands.

Bob, Kansas (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 10:55 AM)

Definitely a Coca Cola flashback

Marc, Amsterdam (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 10:59 AM)

Hubby and I joked that it must be one fowl tasting beer to have people go so far to get rid of it by passing it off to strangers. I'll stick to the dark micro stuff.

s, bismarck, nd (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 11:02 AM)

Stupid commercial.  'nuf said.

I didn't drink the swill before the commercial and definitely won't now.

Dave, Columbus, OH (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 12:09 PM)

The visuals and storyline of the ad are interesting but the music is too loud (it dominates the video).

Also, Heineken IS (IMHO) pretty crappy beer, and this ad just reinforces my impression that the people in their ads are beer-idiots.

And while I like the occasional micro-brew, the mass-market beers I like are cold-filtered. I'm not being paid to post this message so you can figure out which ones on your own...

Chris G. in NJ (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 1:17 PM)

The number of commericials and ad campaigns that a beer company has is inversely proportional to the quality of the company's beer.

Paul, Pennsylvania (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 2:48 PM)

This commercial is extremely annoying and Heineken needs to fire its advertiser.

Mike, in NJ (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 3:27 PM)

My door is wide open, and I'm thirsty, but no one has brought me a beer!  What's the deal?

Greg, Texas (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 4:00 PM)

HEINEKEN BEER WITH OR WITHOUT A  COMMERCIAL IS THE BEST BEER !!!! SO JUST LET US SHARE THE GOODNESS OF HEINEKEN

ROBERT DAVIS (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 4:03 PM)

I know what "skunky beer" means after trying this.  Open a bottle and people nearby look for a skunk, really.

PJ, Minnesota (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 5:09 PM)

Heineken is an export beer, export beers are by comparison to the beers kept in the country of origin, usually inferior to those like the gold in Germany, Gelb, or something like that in southern Germany, or the hoppy beers in England, Double Diamond and John Bull are real beer enthusiasts' beers. Sell beers to kids, or hipsters like in the Heineken commercial and anything will do. Skunky beers are in these days, Corona need a lime to mask the skunky beer it is or put any beer where the sun will shine on it for a while, and you have a Corona or a Heineken.

Charles D (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 5:29 PM)

A true stroke of genius....nothin like a thro-back commercial to put a smile on your face. Although I don't drink "Heine" I still think the marketing campaign is really good and they should follow up on it further...maybe some of the other "posters" on here should re-evaluate....PEACE EVERYBODY! !

Mike S., Lake George, NY (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 6:02 PM)

Oh, ladies and gents...come to Portland, Oregon, where we have the most micro-breweries per capita!

We can't wait for you to visit.

Widmer,McMenamins,Rogue,Bridgeport,FullSail,LuckyLab,Pyramid... Just to Name a Few! PORTLAND, OREGON (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 6:33 PM)

I'm agree with Bob in Kansas.  I watched the commercial before I read these comments and all I could think of was, "How  bad can this beer be that everyone who touches it needs to get rid of it!"  Not a great marketing campaign.

AN, Los Angeles (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 6:56 PM)

Although I got the overall concept of the commerical. Which, for the most part, I liked. The music was overbearing. And it would have been better if maybe they were passing a six pack that each time had one less beer in it would've made it seem like it wasn't the same beer. I don't really like Heineken. i prefer Killian's or even Bud. But the commercial although lacking in some places was enjoyable. Not enough for me top switch beers though.

David Briscoe (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 8:39 PM)

Fowl tasting beer?  Theres a marketing idea...Tastes like chicken!!!

Oz San Diego Ca (Sent Tuesday, May 06, 2008 8:50 PM)

I can't stand the Heineken that I can get here in the US.  When I'm in Amsterdam, it's not too bad as the brewery's right there.

Give me a Leinenkugels any day

Tom, Haugen, WI (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 4:11 AM)

Hysterical reading these folks who disovered micro brews a year or two ago because they think its "cool" and now think they "know beer."  Sounds like a lot of the wine snobs I know who, when served a crap wine in a nice glass with a fake story attached , will tell you about its delicate nuances.  

This ia great commercial and the song is very intersting, as long as your tastes are broader than, say, your standard popo or country hit.  If you do not get it, do not worry : you are not the target audience.

RF Manchester NH (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 8:55 AM)

Heh, I can't get the idea they're just looking for the one who will take it off them out of my head now.
I agree with your Six-Pack idea, David Briscoe.

Anthony, Limerick, Ireland (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 9:28 AM)

Heineken just smells bad. The company needs to take a trip over it's Southern boarder to Belgium for beer making lessons.

Jon Moore, Jensen Beach, FL. (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 9:29 AM)

I'm not a fan of Heineken in any of it's incarnations, but I've got to admit this ad catches my attention every time and I DO smile at the music and slogan.  It won't make mey buy their beer, but I'll hum their song.  (Hey Oz, I think there's a spot for you in KFC's advertising department!)

Deb, CT (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 9:32 AM)

The music is loud for a reason, it is part of the message. The ad states "Share the good" and the song lyrics repeat the word "love" over and over. Put em together, "share the love" is the message, we are all one, all brothers & sisters. This ad aint about beer, its about love. And the fact that it comes back to the original guy is: the love you get is the love you give.

Amore (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 10:24 AM)

This spot is remarkably similar to the Liberty insurance commercials, where people are seen performing good deeds, which trigger a cascade of similar 'pay-it-forward' events leading back to the characters in the opening of the spot.  Not original.

Mauricio Portland OR (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 10:32 AM)

I totally dug the positive vibe message but have to admit the music was pretty bad.

Norma LeBarron, Hancock, MA (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 10:40 AM)

"Skunky beer".  HAH!  When we were younger, my drinking buddy's dad would call it "Heineykabooboo".  I guess know I know why. Smells like the hind end! Never drank it, and never had a wanting to drink it.

Ash, New Port Richey, FL (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 11:13 AM)

David Briscoe, The six pack thing was what I was thinking too but because Heineken tastes better in a bottle ice cold can he be dragging a rolling cooler around so we can get a bottled one??.

tracy feasterville pa (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 11:20 AM)

Not only does my heiny smell bad, the whole D*@# worlds heiny smells bad too!! I feel better now!!

Steve, Dallas Tx (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 11:37 AM)

This is a direct rip off a national insurance company ad that starts off with a person picking up a toy dropped from a baby carriage and then the mother helping the next person, who helps another person, etc.

Mandy Redlands CA (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 11:45 AM)

If it's to loud, you're to old!  Turn the volume down.  I'm not a beer drinker at all but I enjoy the commercial.  People are smiling and friendly.  It's refreshing to see joy and peace instead of crime and hate!  Peace out sisters and brothers!

VM, Woodridge, IL (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 11:49 AM)

This commercial is a perfect example of the Saatchi's Lovemark(tm) theory in advertizing. It is in fact a good commercial, and a paradigm shift from the company's previous ad campaign : Dancing fembots with trance-like music in the background.

HOWEVER. I would have to disagree with the author of the main posting who states that this ad campaign is "the beer company is redeeming itself". The author should have perhaps argued that the previous ad campaigned hurt sales, but she didn't. The logical backing is merely that what came before was "stupid, sexist and an assault on our eardrum".
This commercial is indeed capitalizing on the "globetrotting, multiculturalism [and] pleasures of sharing with strangers", but my point is: what successful ad campaign of a multinational company isn't? At least their previous "Draughtkeg" ad-mix stood out of the crowd!
Other "stand out" beer company ad campaigns have included:

Molson's "I am Canadian"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zWDXE9Pbjic

Labatt's "Fier d'Etre Blue"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=K6aihcLNuuQ

Guiness' "Music Machine"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-lH-5UP3I8k

The goal is to beat to beat the clutter, this new Heineken campaign does not.

The author's last paragraph is dead-on, especially when she says that "it’s easy to forget that the company is hawking middle-of-the-road beer". Heineken is risking the fate of "Outpost.com", with their wolves commercial form the late 90's... memorable commercial... what was that company called again ? Who cares! (http://youtube.com/watch?v=9cmT8M_67ow)

AP, Atlanta, GA (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 12:01 PM)

Disclaimer:  I'm not a beer drinker -
However, I really enjoyed the ad. It made me want to grab a 6 pack and take it to a friend.  If they were targeting non-beer-drinkers, it worked here.  I'm sick to death of guys in bars and chicks T+A beer ads.

Julie, Lafayette, CO (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 12:19 PM)

HAHAhahaha, Oz, you rock!  I was hoping someone would notice that!  and David Briscoe, I like your 6-pack idea also. :)

Amy the Guinness drinker, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 12:23 PM)

The ONLY clever marketing idea from Heineken is their DraughtKeg dispenser. If Miller Genuine Draught or any other domestic beer came in one of these, I bet you wouldn’t see a whole lot of “Heine” moving off the shelves!

Tom P., Little Rock, AR. (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 12:39 PM)

Couldn't understand the thought of why they kept passsing the bottle on to another (no one stopped to drink it!)  Most lagers have no taste - IF I drink a beer I go for Weiss Biers, Stouts, or Asian beer for a cleaner taste.  On second though make mine Scotch.

Mitchel Woolard, Washington, NC (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 4:28 PM)

Well, I think that is a good advertisement for beer. I'm under 21 so I shouldn't care, but I'm sure my dad would like it. BUT FINALLY SOMETHING BETTER THAN THAT HORIFFIC, SEXIST, EXAGERRATED-FEMALE-ROBOT-HEINIKIN-COMMERCIAL!!!

Casey (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 4:43 PM)

Once you home-brewed your own beer nothing, and I mean nothing, ever tastes so good again.

However, I like the commercial. Not enough to buy the beer, but good commercial.

Mike, Summerland, CA (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 6:17 PM)

The real Dutch Heineken is a great beer.  Way better than the watered down beers people are willing to spend their dollars on over here.  In terms of the import Heineken:  It is loaded with preservatives and other changes required by our government.  When you drink a real red star Heineken (in The Netherlands or the Dutch Carribean Islands: Aruba, Bonaire, etc.,) you can't believe it's the same brand.  Totally different, no nasty after taste, etc.  It's like drinking a Diet Pepsi, and then drinking an original Pepsi or comparing apples to oranges.  Don't blame Heineken, but blame the morons here that keep us from getting to enjoy the real thing.

Jay D, Dover, Del. (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 6:29 PM)

I agree completely with Jay D, as in saying that the real Heineken beers in Amsterdam and almost anywhere overseas tastes at least 10 times better than the garbage we import.  It is a simple matter of the imported Heineken is a "top o' the barrel" beer, while the good stuff is the bottom of the barrel.  The real Heineken is as smooth as silk, and tastes better than the American p!ss water we call beer here in the States.  The only American beer I will drink is either Killian's Irish Red or some Sam Adams.  Anything else tastes like flavored water at best, and any beer with preservatives will get a skunky taste.  Preservatives are also the source of a good morning after hangover.  When I lived in Europe, I drank European beer more than water itself, and not once did I ever have a hangover.  There were a couple of mornings I woke up still drunk from the night before, but I never had a hangover.  I come back to the States, have ONE Bud, and have a whopping hangover the very next morning.  That is why I won't touch the stuff ever again.

Scott C, Charleston, IL (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 7:20 PM)

I miss the robot lady....and green is my favorite color! Go Pack!

Glen, Cottage Grove, MN (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 9:05 PM)

IS ANYBODY LISTENING?  Advertising is SATAN!  Unite against a real American demon.  

Nathaniel Hawthorne, IOWA (Sent Thursday, May 08, 2008 12:08 AM)

I don't even drink beer and all I could assume from the commercial was that if I wanted to start I shouldn't drink this one because they couldn't get rid of it fast enough.  It seemed like the original guy was hunted down and had to take it back.

Laura H, OKC, OK (Sent Thursday, May 08, 2008 1:02 AM)

Does anyone realize that the one guy gives a beer to a Hindu lady...........hello Hindus and alcohol?

Craig Service (Sent Thursday, May 08, 2008 2:16 AM)

That Heineken commercial simply: SUCKS!!!  It's so fake.  It gets harder to watch everytime.  Please, don't play that junk during the NBA Playoffs!

Rene Joel, Belleville, NJ (Sent Thursday, May 08, 2008 10:21 AM)

Lol, Casey - you should come here to Puerto Rico where the drinking age is 18.  Heinecken is okay beer, not great, but not terrible. Those who are hollering about it would probably nod and exult over its "delicate nuances" if they were poured a cold one and were told it were a "microbrew."  Personally as an occasional drinker, I like this ad.  So what if it's a bit of a rip-off of established sunny ads?  All the Bud ads are built around the same theme and we still enjoy them.  When it comes down to it, pretty much every possible ad campaign has already happened.  My favorite one in a long time is the ad for the F-150 that has it chasing a tornado and the caption is, "If your idea of a wind tunnel is this, then this is your idea of a truck."  Peace out, people.  Beer is beer.  You can only advertise it so many ways.  And wait till you're a multinational company trying to please everyone before you throw the first stone.

José, Ponce Puerto Rico (Sent Thursday, May 08, 2008 10:44 AM)

I can see criticizing the commercial, but the beer itself? It would be one thing if everyone had the same taste for beer! Some people like it, some don't. Just because some beer snob says it's terrible, skunk beer doesn't make it true. If you like it, drink it! If not, don't!

Shawn (Sent Thursday, May 08, 2008 11:54 AM)

Middle of the road beer, my ass! That's the best beer in the world and the #1 import for all you beer snobs out there. If you choose your beer because of a commercial. you are an idiot anyway.

Jimbo (Sent Thursday, May 08, 2008 12:21 PM)

The one bottle of beer that no one wants is like the one fruitcake in the world during the holidays . . .

Christine, Boca Raton, FL (Sent Thursday, May 08, 2008 1:13 PM)

I honestly found the last commercial amusing but as a designer who works with ads it didn't fit the bill for a beer commercial. It also felt like a Daft Punk rip off.

The new one isn't any better and it reminds me of old coca cola commercials.

I'll stick with my dark brews thanks.

Krista, Pennsylvainia (Sent Thursday, May 08, 2008 1:17 PM)



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