Heineken strikes again with UEFA Champions League campaign

Premiering around the world, the ad is the latest element of the brand's global integrated 'Road to The Final' campaign, as it celebrates its seventh consecutive year sponsoring the UEFA Champions League.

The ad features one lucky fan, who receives a ticket to the UEFA Champions League Final. The only problem is that he is on the other side of the world and faces a race against the clock to get to the match. Through a combination of resourcefulness, imagination and inventiveness, he manages to overcome every obstacle put in his way - to be rewarded with the ultimate football experience - a pitch side seat at Wembley, arriving just before kick-off.

Encouraging fans to engage

Throughout the 'Road to the Final' campaign, the company is encouraging fans to engage with the brand through a series of unique activities from on-pack to in-bar and social media challenges, offering once-in-a-lifetime prizes.

The brand's Facebook fans can play a pinball game inspired by elements of the advert. Players can compete against each other and brand ambassadors, including four times UEFA Champions League winner Clarence Seedorf, to earn bragging rights. For the semi-finals, fans will have the chance to engage with Seedorf through Twitter, with the most resourceful receiving prizes for their imaginative responses to the challenges set for them.

As the 'Road to The Final' campaign reaches its climax, the company will be rewarding fans for displaying inspiring and imaginative behaviour by offering tickets to the UEFA Champions League Final in Wembley.

This latest instalment of the 'Legends' campaign was co-created with the same team as the first two 'Open Your World' campaigns ('The Entrance' and 'The Date') - advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam and director Fredrik Bond. Tribal DDB created the Facebook pinball game.

South African opportunities

The South Africa's campaign will not only offer fans to win a pair of tickets to one of a number of UCL matches from the semi-finals through to the final at Wembley but also the chance to experience these matches at unique screenings on game night, at select taverns and bars across Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Heineken SA has also hinted at an additional series of highly premium events to roll out over the semi-finals and final. These events will involve a secret luxury location for select consumers, offering the ultimate VIP viewing experience for the ultimate fan.

Tjeerd Veldhuis, marketing manager for Heineken SA, said, "We are delighted to launch the next stage of the campaign with this new TVC. UEFA Champions League fans, who enjoy our brand are intelligent, quick witted and worldly people, so we have designed a campaign that they will enjoy being part of.

"We aim to inspire fans to watch the advert, engage with the brand - play the digital game, Tweet Clarence Seedorf and come to brand events. If they do this, then they might get the chance to see the Final, whether it's at Wembley, the game night screenings or secret premium venue."

View the ad on www.youtube.com/heineken.