Heineken’s ‘Heinekicks’: A Sneaky Move to Target Gen-Z in Markets Where Alcohol Marketing is Banned

Heineken’s latest promotion, “Heinekicks,” is a troubling campaign aimed at reaching Gen-Z in markets where the general public is protected from alcohol marketing through policies. By launching a trendy sneaker designed in collaboration with The Shoe Surgeon, Heineken bypasses direct advertising bans while embedding its brand into youth culture. This campaign isn’t about shoes; it’s a calculated attempt to integrate the Heineken brand into the daily lives of younger audiences.

The impact speaks volumes: According to Heineken this marketing campaign contributed to a 90% increase in volume sales across the Asia Pacific region. Campaigns like “Heinekicks” reveal how Big Alcohol works around alcohol marketing policies, underscoring the need for more ambitious measures to counter surrogate marketing and other indirect promotions to protect young people from alcohol brand exposure.

Promotion, or any marketing strategies, is Big Alcohol’s activity to drive alcohol availability and acceptability, to perpetuate the alcohol norm, and to place alcohol at the center of people’s thoughts and preferences, communities’ practices, and societies’ customs. The focus of this DUBIOUS FIVE strategy is the people and their beliefs about alcohol products, the public and their attitudes about and behavior around alcohol products, and the consumers and how much, how often they buy and consume alcohol brands.

Source:
https://www.oneclub.org/awards/oneasia/-award/50185/heinekicks/

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