HEINEKEN and Formula E have teamed up for Heineken® to be an official partner of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. The five-year partnership kicked off in November 2018 with Heineken® joining the electric street racing series as Official Beer and Cider Partner. The two final rounds of the championship brought action to the streets of Red Hook, Brooklyn in New York City on July 13-14, with circuit branding, widespread media outreach, PR activation, digital initiatives and live fan experiences.
Gianluca Di Tondo, Senior Director Global Heineken® brand at HEINEKEN, said; “Formula E gives Heineken® an excellent opportunity to engage with current and potential millennial and GenZ (LDA+) consumers in key cities around the world, including Santiago de Chile, Mexico City and Rome, with the two final rounds in New York City. We are doing this by showing fans unexpected and interesting facets of the sport, activating strongly around a number of select E-Prix in urban settings throughout the season.”
He continued; “The partnership complements our association with Formula One™, and other sponsorship platforms such as UEFA Champions League and the Rugby World Cup, which have proven highly successful in expanding our global footprint as well as drinking occasions in targeted geographies.”
Founder & CEO of Formula E, Alejandro Agag, commented; “Heineken® has forged a reputation for first-class fan engagement across various high-profile sponsorship properties around the world. We are very much looking forward to bringing their experience to the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. It is an exciting time for the series and the involvement of a global premium brand such as Heineken® confirms that this is a property continuing on its way up.”
An important aspect to the Formula E partnership will be to further embed Heineken®’s enjoy responsibly message, which is a key part of the company’s Brewing a Better World sustainability strategy. The award-winning campaign, “When You Drive, Never Drink”, communicates a powerful anti-drinking and driving message where consumers are left in no doubt — when you drive, you never drink. Heineken® 0.0 launched in January 2019 and provides a solution for those occasions when consumers want a tasty beer without the alcohol; it’s a perfect fit with the Formula E partnership.
