Heineken encourages people to open up their world by uncovering well-kept secrets in their own cities. That was the plot of the 2014 campaign. Our challenge was to bring the campaign to life in the most iconic Brazilian city, Rio de Janeiro, connecting the brand proposition with a cultural gap: Bossa Nova, one of our most important musical styles, albeit forgotten, along with its birthplace — abandoned and closed for the last 40 years.

Heineken restored BECO DAS GARRAFAS (‘Bottle Alley’), an alley in Copacabana with 3 historical bars where the rhythm was forged. We renovated the bars, street and music, preserving and nurturing the future of the Bossa. Old and new artists played together, creating new versions of famous songs for a new generation of fans. There was no traditional media investment. The emotional and cultural appeal of the project produced a lot of buzz; press, journalists and opinion leaders all got involved, seeing that BECO had been forgotten for 40 years. This spontaneously made headlines in many media outlets, helping to rescue its history as well as discussing Heineken's initiative. An unbranded documentary about BECO DAS GARRAFAS’ importance and its revitalization process was produced and shown in movie theaters and Internet channels.

A communication plan for social networks provided a feed regarding BECO’s history, facts and curiosities. Performances were broadcast live on the Multishow TV network and generated exclusive playlists on Spotify, turning it into a Cultural Heritage of Rio de Janeiro, with live shows six days/week.

20 days before the Grand Opening, the media and opinion leaders all got involved, seeing that Beco had been forgotten for 40 years. This spontaneously made headlines in many media outlets, helping to rescue its history as well as discussing Heineken's initiative.

João Donato and Marcos Valle, major Brazilian artists of the first phase of the Bossa Nova, carried out the inaugural performance, along with a new generation of artists, such as Tiê and Tono. French band Nouvelle Vague ended the three-week programming.

An unbranded documentary about BECO DAS GARRAFAS’ importance and its revitalization process was produced and shown in movie theaters and Internet channels.

A communication plan for social networks provided a feed regarding BECO’S history, facts and curiosities. There was no traditional media investment, only social engagement.

BECO DAS GARRAFAS Heineken’s first 3 weeks open were completely sold out. More than 4.6 million people were directly impacted. The news reverberated spontaneously in hundreds of media outlets, generating a payback (ROI) of R$ 6,282,653.86 (about US$ 2.2 million). Heineken invested R$ 1,600,000 (about US$ 500,000) to renovate the venue and sponsor the line-up for the reopening. The Return On Investment was roughly 4 times. BECO DAS GARRAFAS Heineken thrilled those who took part in the creation of the movement, inspired a new generation of artists and brought a new generation of Bossa Nova lovers to the newly revitalized BECO DAS GARRAFAS in Copacabana.

Today, BECO DAS GARRAFAS remains open and has become a Cultural Heritage of Rio de Janeiro, with live shows six days/week, welcoming people from all over the world. A landmark that will remain forever in Rio, offered by Heineken.