In Heineken 0.0’s New Ads, it Doesn’t Matter Why You’re Going Dry

Here’s the designated driver – the crowd goes for him, the bartenders give him preferential treatment and friends hail him to take one for the team.

But what if this man, the star of a new global announcement for Heineken 0.0simply decided not to drink booze on this particular night? Should he pretend he’s a chauffeur to justify his defeat?

The campaign, called “0.0 Reasons Needed” by the agency LePubuses a light touch to delve into a rather weighty issue: While the soberly curious The movement continues to gather steam and devotees, lingering stigmas and peer pressure can make it difficult for those who abstain.

The eight-year-old Heineken 0.0, which has become one of the best-selling alcohol-free beers in America via marketing master and big expensesquit work to start Dry January.

The brand said it aims to dispel stereotypes and defend “people’s right to make choices without judgement”. In other words, if someone dries up, it doesn’t matter why.

Since its launch in 2017, Heineken 0.0 it “helped make moderation cool,” he said Nabil Nasserglobal head of Heineken Brand. But there is a deep-rooted taboo that still exists, “so we need to be dynamic and inventive in terms of addressing these stereotypes.”

“0.0 Reasons Needed” provides a welcome change from the category norm, noted a lawyer and author without alcohol. Hilary Sheinbaum.

“Brands don’t usually address the elephant in the room, which is that friends, family, co-workers and strangers might think the non-drinker has a specific agenda for abstinence,” Sheinbaum he told ADWEEK. “On the one hand, it shows that people can be judged. But I think the moral of these clips is that you shouldn’t judge a beer by its lack of ABV.

A dichotomy hunter

Along with the campaign, Heineken published a study by Oxford University professor Charles Spence showing that acceptance of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks is at an all-time high, although choosing one “can still raise your eyebrows.”