Convey that the Heineken brand is 'all about the beer' using topical events. Television is mandatory to fulfill the reach/frequency goals for Heineken (80% reach at a 8x frequency).

PR alone for the spot was worth $175,000. In addition to the PR, the qualitative effects of the timing are huge: 63% of adults are interested in 2004 presidential election. Major registration drives are being conducted by Russell Simmons, MTV, both political parties and colleges around the country, raising awareness of the election.

Running 100% at a key selling period and when news coverage was high, Heineken had an election-themed ad as their key message when politics were most relevant. January 19th/20th – Iowa Caucus; January 27th/28th – New Hampshire Primary; February 3rd/4th – 12 state primaries March 2nd/3rd – Super Tuesday. The strategy was successful. The nominees were set right after Super Tuesday. After this, the election coverage cools until summer. With a timely strategy, Heineken pre-empted other beer advertisers.

The media strategy and idea led to multiple PR hits, including ABC World News, Chicago Sun Times, and the New York Times.

A leader among beer brands, the Heineken consumer expects the brand to entertain while being thought-provoking and topical. The most thought-provoking and topical event in 2004 is the U.S. presidential election. Using the election conceptually is not enough. There will be a clutter of presidential-themed ads close to the election, so Heineken broke 'Election' months before other marketers and used media placement to create relevancy. Heineken leveraged key time periods of the lead-in to the 'Election' running their :30 TV spot at 100% in key early election periods.