Heineken created The Exchange, a promotional activation that invited everyone to come trade in their unwanted Christmas gifts for cold Heineken. A complete event and bar program organized parties and happy hours around the unwanted gift drop-off stations.

Just before Christmas we ran a campaign – featuring digital, print, TV, and outdoor – highlighting all those gifts we often get for Christmas that we don’t really like. We then invited Puerto Ricans to come bring their unwanted gifts to special exchange stations set up at some of the island’s most popular nightlife hangouts. There they were able to exchange their gifts for a complimentary bottle of Heineken.

All of the collected gifts were sold off to raise money for a charity that protects an underprivileged community in Puerto Rico called Caño Martín Peña.

This activation brought to life, and to the point of sale, the essence of a global TV campaign. It also made it more relevant to the local market in the product’s high season for consumption: Christmas.

As global campaigns don’t always translate perfectly to individual markets in each country, the strategy of this activation was to make the brand’s global Christmas effort more relatable to the Puerto Rican holidays, which are filled with parties and many moments of drinking. The activation brought to life, and to the point of sale, the essence of the global TV ad.

Heineken is a global brand. Its campaigns are adapted to markets all over the world. 2016’s global Christmas campaign had a special resonance with Puerto Rico, as it was starred by Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro, who appeared opening less-than-great gifts (except for Heineken) in the main TV spot.