Heineken has built global activation and visibility around Europe’s prestigious football competition – UEFA Champions League. Virgo created a buzz-worthy event to launch the 2016 UEFA Champions League and generate social media activity outside the brands’ platforms.
Virgo Communications conceptualized a private party held at the then-new “Primo” restaurant, not associated with the brand or sports. One hundred carefully selected guests were hand-delivered ambiguous invitations to add to the intrigue. The restaurant was transformed on the day of the event, outfitted with lounge furniture, Foozball tables, and flags in the brand colours of Heineken.
Large TV screens were strategically placed to stream the UEFA game. In addition to the organic social media engagement generated by the guests’ curiosity and surprise on the day of the event, an onsite digital promotion was created using specific hashtags to take the engagement into the digital realm.
The results: the event generated significant buzz and word-of-mouth value, caused a significant increase in brand awareness and engagement online, and kicked-off a series of events that doubled the expected sales during the UEFA activity period.