Heineken – “Open Your City” Urban Activation

Client: Heineken

Industry: Beverage / FMCG
Markets Served: Spain, Portugal, Netherlands
Duration: 4 months
Avanza Services Used:

Experiential Marketing & Events
Strategic Business Development
Brand Activation & Pop-Up Strategy
Influencer & Community Engagement
Localization Strategy

+23% uplift in partner venue sales

3 cities requested 2025 follow-up campaigns

60% of cross-brand bundles sold out in 3 weeks

The Challenge

Heineken aimed to revive post-pandemic brand engagement with young urban consumers by reactivating its famous “Open Your City” campaign. The goal: increase brand affinity in nightlife districts and drive foot traffic to partner venues — bars, clubs, and music events — while capturing first-party data and influencer-led content.

The Imaginative Quest "Our Approach"

1. Local Market Research & City Mapping:
Avanza conducted on-the-ground city audits to identify nightlife zones in Madrid, Lisbon, and Amsterdam. We created a tiered partner venue map based on traffic trends, musical subcultures, and historical sales data from Heineken's distributors.
2. Urban Pop-Up Strategy:
We designed modular Heineken-branded installations at nightlife hotspots — from metro exits to rooftop bars. These activations featured LED walls, QR gamification, and free sampling events linked to real-time social engagement challenges (e.g., “tag your crew and unlock a party invite”).
3. Strategic Business Development:
We initiated cross-promotional partnerships between Heineken and 30+ local businesses: cocktail bars, DJs, and fashion retailers. Through Avanza, Heineken offered limited co-branded offers (e.g., “Buy a green label beer, get a designer tote”) — boosting B2B growth and nightlife venue loyalty.
4. Digital + Influencer Layer:
Avanza recruited 40+ micro-influencers and nightlife curators, launching a #OpenYourCityNow campaign with Instagram reels, TikToks, and Spotify playlists. Our creative direction team produced mobile-first content and ensured brand tone stayed authentic and edgy.
5. Real-Time Tracking & Feedback Loop:
A custom dashboard helped Heineken track redemption rates, event RSVPs, and venue conversions, with a live alert system to identify viral moments in each city.

The Epic Victory "The Result"

+23% uplift in partner venue sales during campaign months
12K+ new customer emails captured via QR activations
18M total impressions via influencer content (earned media)
3 partner cities requesting follow-up campaigns for 2025
60% of cross-branded product bundles sold out within 3 weeks

Key Takeaway

Avanza helped Heineken transform an iconic global campaign into a hyper-local growth engine, using city mapping, B2B development, and influencer-driven activations to reignite brand energy and create measurable value for on-trade partners.