When Heineken 0.0 landed in Brazil, the category was stagnant with few brands and products of questionable flavor focusing on restriction triggers, driving the zero-alcohol beer very far from moments of socialization.

Heineken 0.0 had the ambition to change this scenario, showing that non-alcoholic beer didn't taste bad and, above all, was not synonymous with boredom.

In order to achieve that, the brand set 2 bigger objectives:

(1) Changing people's behavior towards the category by creating new consumption occasions that would increase (and make easier) product trial;

(2) Increasing awareness based on the quality of its taste and on the iconicity of its parent brand.

While the entire category focused on restriction, we decided to invert the logic to open up perspectives, changing the target which had been category’s focus for years. Instead of talking to 0.0 drinkers, we chose to talk to Heineken lovers who had made the brand the most beloved beer in the country.

In order to do this, we engaged with these fans at a moment when they couldn't have a regular Heineken but would do anything for its flavor and refreshment.

We entered the Brazilian highways during summer, a period of peak traffic occasion. And we provided an even greater reason for these Heineken lovers to overcome their barriers and prejudices: instead of a traditional sampling action, we turned Heineken packaging into payment methods giving them a reason to buy the beer. Heineken 0.0 opened the toll gates for them, but also their minds to new possibilities.

In order to better understand the barriers and myths surrounding the category, we conducted qualitative research with focus groups in 4 strategic cities for the brand, which confirmed some of our hypotheses:

1) Recall of bad taste hinders experimentation;

2) The category has low communication recall, making it hard to drive consideration.

Then, a Kantar survey elected Heineken, the alcoholic sibling of 0.0, as the most loved beer of Brazilians.

That's when we realized where the strength of Heineken 0.0 lay: it was a Heineken. If there was a taste barrier regarding alcohol-free beer, Heineken was a brand known for its quality and unique flavor, which had won the hearts and glasses of Brazilians in less than 10 years. And if category awareness was low, we could use the desire and aspiration associated with Heineken to take 0.0 to another level.

Background & context:

Zero-alcohol beer (ZAB) in Brazil suffers from a bad reputation. Being for decades associated with restriction triggers such as driving, pregnancy and health issues created a stereotype: whoever drinks ZAB, drinks it because they need it and don't have fun with it. If beer is a synonym of good times, ZAB is rather a synonym of boring ones.

Brazilians definitely don't consider a non-alcoholic beer when they want to socialize, often neglecting it for juice or a soda.

Moreover, the category has been dominated by competitors and products with questionable quality and flavor, a problem that other non-alcoholic beverages do not face. On the contrary, they are sweet and tasty.

Creative Challenge:

Heineken 0.0 landed in Brazil with a significant challenge - to conquer the market, it would first need to combat the stereotypes that the category perpetuated for years. But, instead of playing the game, it did what it always does - flipped the logic and decided to break these stereotypes not compromising flavor or quality.

Solution:

Bringing a product of superior quality and flavor wouldn't be enough. So, instead of targeting those who drink due to restrictions, Heineken 0.0 relied on the credibility of its parent brand, voted twice as the most loved beer in Brazil.

Why not show these fans they could have Heineken's taste even when it wasn't allowed - while driving.

Summer was the perfect moment for this. With high temperatures, Brazilians flock to the beach coast and countryside in search of refreshment and fun, making it the main sales season for the beer category.

The highways are crowded with endless lines at toll booths and thousands of people desperate to reach their destinations and open their first beer.

What if we could show them it was possible to have their first ice-cold Heineken in the middle of traffic chaos? If Heineken doesn't have space on the roads, Heineken 0.0 does!

We encouraged drivers to try Heineken 0.0 while driving towards Brazilian beaches. But instead of a traditional sampling action, we used innovation to give people a great reason to buy the product.

Execution:

Heineken 0.0 partnered with CCR, the most important highways concessionaire in Brazil, to turn each Heineken 0.0 bottle or can into a payment method that would open crowded toll booths. Using existing scanning technology, the only thing drivers had to do was show a Heineken 0.0 when going through the toll booths for the barriers to be opened.

A multimedia strategy with geolocated ads on Spotify and Waze and OOHs on highways and gas stations, promoted the activation along the drivers' journeys.

Through PR efforts, high-audience TV programs amplified the news to the public off the roads. Influencers drove conversation on social media. The activation organically reverberated online sparking conversations about the Heineken 0.0 brand during the summer, a season where ZAB had no space at all.

More than just a sampling and experimentation activation, 0.0 Barriers created a very good reason for people to overcome stereotypes and try the taste of Heineken 0.0 in a place where alcoholic beer has no space - Brazilian highways.

Heineken 0.0 managed to get into Brazilian culture by giving people a great reason to speak well about the brand, reaching a social media reach of 8MM.

According to Kantar, in the first months after the activation, there was a 14% increase in the number of people who bought Heineken 0.0 for the first time and a 14% increase in regular buyers. Our brand power went from 12.8 percentage points to 13.9 percentage points in just three months, ensuring leadership against the competition.

0.0 Barriers led to a 116% increase in Heineken 0.0 sales. By the end of 2023, Heineken 0.0 had achieved leadership in both share value and volume.