HEINEKEN | AUDITORIUM | 2010
The Classical Concert Trap / HEINEKEN "AUDITORIUM"
On October 21, 2009, 1,000 football fans gathered at an auditorium in Milan, with no idea they were walking straight into a trap.
The problem
On the night of a Real Madrid vs. AC Milan match, Heineken enlisted 200 people playing "people you can't say no to" — university professors, bosses, girlfriends — to lure football fans out to a classical concert. A Champions League sponsor deliberately pulling fans away from the match was a bold reversal of the usual playbook.
The insight
You can't say no to your boss. You can't say no to your girlfriend. Heineken bet that this exact frustration could become the best material for a campaign. 15 minutes after the concert began, words appeared on a screen: "You can't say no to your boss, can you? Or your girlfriend? Or the match?"
The idea
A string quartet began playing Handel's "Zadok the Priest." The instant the audience realized it was the Champions League theme song, the screen switched on and the match started playing right in front of them. While keeping up the appearance of a classical concert the whole time, the sponsorship itself became the twist.
What happened
1.5 million people watched the live broadcast on Sky Sports, and 10 million more heard about it in the news the next day. Within two weeks, unique visitors online topped 5 million. At Cannes Lions it won in four categories, including Gold Promo and Gold PR, and it also picked up a Clio Grand and a Golden Elephant at the European BEA.
Afterthought
Few campaigns capture "Made to entertain" as clearly as this one. Sponsorship doesn't have to mean exposure — it can become a story instead. And on a small budget, too. Makes me want to set a trap for someone myself.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2010
