Cannes Lions 2015⑤ Why Heineken is Selected as a Creative Marketer

Heineken was honored as "Creative Marketer of the Year" at the 2015 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. We spoke with David Pugh, Global Consumer Brand PR Manager, about the source of the company's creativity.

—Congratulations on winning Creative Marketer of the Year. Your commitment to and achievements in creativity were highly praised. Let me ask you straight: What exactly is "creativity" for Heineken?
I'll answer that straight up (laughs): it's in our DNA. It's the fundamental principle that runs through everything we do, the very spirit of our founding. We've always placed tremendous importance on creativity in discovering and developing talent. In that sense, I believe it holds meaning beyond just marketing strategy. We encourage our employees' curiosity, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit, constantly investing in innovative ideas. As a result, our brands have developed strong narratives, enabling us to engage with consumers worldwide and broaden and deepen our relationships. It truly is the driving force behind our competitive advantage.

—Philip Thomas, CEO of the Lions Festival, cited "creativity permeating every corner of the organization and an organizational structure enabling diverse experimentation while preserving the brand's core essence" as one reason for the award.
Yes, when tackling communication and branding, we always strive to take a unique approach that fosters creativity rather than stifling it. We challenge ourselves to pursue innovative, powerful ideas that spark people's curiosity while safeguarding the brand's core values. We truly believe in the power of such new ideas.

―I hear you also have very robust internal systems for challenging new ideas and bringing them to life.
That's right, we have several. A prime example is our learning program called "Global Commerce University." It centers on creativity and is conducted globally. Nearly 6,000 employees have already completed it.
Beyond that, we continuously run innovation programs. A recent addition is "TALENT LAB: Moderation." It selects young talent from five countries to foster creative thinking. The challenge is simple: "Make responsible drinking look cool." Participants compete to develop ideas promoting responsible drinking in bars and clubs. The most outstanding ideas, evaluated based on innovation, creativity, and effectiveness, are actually deployed as campaigns.

―I hear you evaluate creative proposals on a 10-point scale when discussing them. That's how you maintain high creativity.
Yes. That's the "Creative Ladder" evaluation scale. From the lowest to the highest: 1. Destructive (harmful to the brand), 2. Hijacked (uncontrollable), 3. Confusing, 4. Cliché, 5. Ownable (feasible), 6. Fresh, 7. Groundbreaking, 8. Contagious (spreads) 9. Cultural Phenomenon 10. Legendary. Since perceptions of creativity are highly subjective, discussions rarely reach consensus when everyone just voices their opinions. That's why we adopted this verbalized evaluation scale. It's a strict assessment where anything below 4 is unacceptable. We strive to pursue ideas rated 7 or higher.

―Are there any other secrets to success?
We simply love to wow people. We find joy in creating impactful concepts and campaigns that stick in people's memories. We want to provide experiences and stories that are rich in entertainment value, yet also make you pause and reflect afterward, or even become a catalyst for social change.

―You also energetically ran stimulating seminars and sessions at Cannes, didn't you?
Under the theme "Thirst for Creativity," we held a seminar in the main conference hall and also ran a workshop on bottle design in a smaller venue. At the networking event "Cannes Connect Bar," we served cold beer under the scorching sun again this year. A first-time initiative was conducting a live Q&A via the live video app "Periscope." The Global Head of Design, who also presented at the workshop, appeared.

―The campaign girls stood out with their very eccentric costumes and hair/makeup. I strongly felt the consistency in brand design and the creativity that brings innovation within universality. Finally, a word of advice to make the most of the Cannes experience.
I'd say keep an open mind and listen to various companies and people without preconceptions. After all, the week in Cannes is the ultimate gathering place for the top players in the business world.

―Thank you for your time today.

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Heineken's Representative Campaign

"If We Made It" for Newcastle Brown Ale (January 23 - February 2, 2014)

The Super Bowl, the championship game of the NFL (National Football League), is said to have the world's most expensive advertising rates. The cost for a 30-second spot in 2014 was $4 million. To communicate effectively on this stage without spending a massive advertising budget, they devised "If We Made It." The campaign featured storyboards and making-of videos for a hypothetical Super Bowl ad that would have been created with ample budget, shared on Facebook, and achieved significant results. It was selected for the top prize, the Blue Award, at the 2014 Facebook Studio Awards, which honors works that effectively utilize Facebook.

 

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#01 Year of Convergence
#02Dentsu Inc. Employee Special Report ~ Yumiko Ota & Nitta
#03"Wake up with The Economist" – Getting to the CMO's True Thoughts
#04Pioneering Jim Stengel on Methodologies for Cannes Lions Success