SUB CATEGORY :

USE OF AMBIENT: LARGE SCALE

ENTRANT COMPANY :

STAR REACHER ADVERTISING SDN BHD, KUALA LUMPUR

TITLE :

HEINEKEN HEIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

BRAND :

HEINEKEN

ADVERTISER :

HEINEKEN MALAYSIA BERHAD

AGENCY :

LEO MALAYSIA, KUALA LUMPUR

GLOBAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER LEPUB,
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER PUBLICIS WORLDWIDE :

BRUNO BERTELLI

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER :

ANDREW MICHAU

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER :

NEIL HUDSPETH

MANAGING DIRECTOR :

FIRZAN MULAFER

CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER :

EMIR SHAFRI

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

ISKA HASHIM

ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

DAVID HK TAN

CREATIVE GROUP HEAD :

VICKKNESH RAJ

CREATIVE :

IVAN LOOS

ART DIRECTOR :

DAVID HK TAN

COPYWRITER :

VICKKNESH RAJ/JING JIE CHANG/POON SEE HIAN

DESIGNER :

DIYANA YUSOF

BUSINESS DIRECTOR :

IRENE KUAN

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER :

AMANDA LIM

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE :

CATHRYN LOH

STRATEGIC PLANNING MANAGER :

BENJAMIN CHEONG

STRATEGIC PLANNER :

KAIYISAH SUHAIMI

FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY :

PRODIGIOUS MALAYSIA, KUALA LUMPUR

AV PRODUCER :

ADRIAN LEE/FAIRUZ MAZLAN

HEAD OF AV :

NISHA KHIRUDIN

AV EDITORS :

SAM CHIA/LOH KOK CHENG

CAMPAIGN SUMMARY :

Advertising alcohol is illegal in Malaysia. Even showing Heineken’s products or full logo on billboards and our delivery trucks could lead to fines and jail time in this dark market, which means Heineken couldn’t even be a part of Malaysia’s massive US$335M/year out-of-home advertising scene. Making it tough for a foreign, premium-priced beer like Heineken to stand out during Chinese New Year, the biggest season for beer sales, against locally loved brands that have long been associated with the celebration. While alcohol brands simply advertised online under strict conditions, we needed to find the right medium to stand out and be relevant to the occasion. Legally, of course.

Exchanging auspicious greetings is a key Chinese New Year tradition. Many of these greetings feature the word "Hei," meaning happiness in Cantonese. So, we tapped into this custom to design a campaign only Heineken could own. We cropped our iconic logo, using its first three letters to complete various Chinese New Year greetings, and featured them across our delivery trucks as they travelled 36,465 kilometres on existing delivery routes across Malaysia as highly visible billboards-in-disguise that were 163% more effective than the average outdoor media buy. While instantly recognisable, the cropped logos made the trucks technically unbranded in the eyes of Malaysian advertising laws, making Heineken the only beer brand legally advertising outdoors during this peak season. Soon, what started outdoors even spread online and, on the news, as people shared Heineken “Heidden in Plain Sight”. Influencers and everyday Malaysians alike even began using the “Hei” on Heineken cans to form their own Chinese New Year greetings on social media.

CREATIVITY/IDEA/INSIGHT :

The exchange of auspicious greetings is central to Chinese New Year tradition, with many featuring the word “Hei”, meaning happiness in Cantonese, like “Hup Ka Foon Hei” (wishing your family happiness) and “Gong Hei Fatt Choi” (wishing you happiness and prosperity). Notably, “Hei” is also the first three letters of Heineken.

We tapped into this cultural tradition to create a campaign that no other brand could replicate, standing out in Malaysia’s advertising dark market. We cropped the first three letters of our iconic logo to complete a series of popular Chinese New Year greetings, featuring them on our delivery trucks—vehicles that normally couldn’t display our full logo. While instantly recognisable as Heineken, cropping the logos ensured compliance with Malaysian advertising laws, while transforming our trucks into highly visible and legal billboards-in-disguise as they travelled 36,465 kilometres across the country making routine deliveries.

This smart use of media allowed Heineken to dominate outdoor spaces legally, creating the only visible beer brand presence outdoors during the festive season. The campaign’s unique approach not only captured attention on the ground but also sparked widespread online and media coverage, reinforcing Heineken’s message of making celebrations complete.

STRATEGY :

Chinese New Year is the peak season for alcohol sales in Malaysia. Heineken, perceived as a foreign premium-priced beer, faces strong competition from locally rooted brands. Adding to the challenge, Malaysia is an advertising dark market, with strict laws prohibiting alcohol brand logos and products on above-the-line media and even our delivery trucks, risking fines and imprisonment. This restricted Heineken from participating in the country’s US$335M/year out-of-home advertising scene.

While other alcohol brands focused on online advertising under strict conditions, Heineken aimed to stand out by tapping into a key Chinese New Year tradition: festive greetings. Through greetings that creatively cropped the Heineken logo to highlight the word “Hei,” meaning happiness, we turned the brand’s own delivery trucks that usually couldn't be branded into mobile billboards-in-disguise as they made routine deliveries across major Malaysian cities. This cheeky media strategy allowed Heineken to be the only beer brand dominating the outdoors uniquely and legally. The campaign resonated with audiences, moving beyond physical spaces to spark online conversations, reinforcing Heineken’s role in making Chinese New Year celebrations complete.

EXECUTION :

We cropped Heineken’s iconic logo, using its first three letters to complete Chinese New Year greetings on 11 of our delivery trucks. This ensured the trucks remained legally unbranded under Malaysia’s strict advertising laws where showing the full logo is illegal, while still being instantly recognisable as Heineken. Our trucks became mobile billboards-in-disguise that covered 36,465 kilometres on existing delivery routes to bars and supermarkets throughout Malaysia over 49 days, seamlessly integrating with existing logistics to avoid operational disruptions.

Romanised Cantonese ensured broad appeal in Malaysia, where most Malaysian Chinese understand spoken Cantonese but not written Chinese. This approach also resonated with non-Cantonese speakers familiar with these common Chinese New Year greetings, maximising the campaign’s reach.

This strategic use of media transformed everyday logistics into a powerful communication channel, allowing Heineken to dominate outdoor spaces where alcohol advertising is typically banned. All while tapping into the cultural significance of Chinese New Year greetings, making Heineken a part of the festive narrative in a way no other beer brand could. The campaign naturally extended online as Malaysians shared their discoveries of “Heidden in Plain Sight,” with influencers and everyday Malaysians creating their own greetings using the “Hei” on Heineken cans.

RESULT :

The campaign reached 33.9 million people (in a population of 34.5 million), earned US$6.8 million in media value, and was 163% more effective than average out-of-home media buys. Sales volume increased by 14% compared to Chinese New Year 2023. All with zero media spend, zero changes to logistics, and, thankfully, zero arrests.