Heineken takes KOLs on an Alpine adventure for global Edelweiss campaign

Heineken’s premium beer brand Edelweiss has launched a global campaign called The Alpine Spirit in collaboration with content creators from its key focus markets including several in APAC. The campaign aims to show shots of the picturesque wilderness, set in the Alps.

Edelweiss teamed up with influencers from Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Chile during a five-day immersion in European Alps. Influencers, including Korean actress Kang Soyeon, Vietnamese actress Veronica Ngô, and Chilean adventurer Pangal Andrade Astorga, were captured through authentic and dynamic campaign shots, including short and long-form content, digital assets and OOH. Through the global campaign, consumers can also see content created by local creators on the brand and the Alps.

This initiative builds on the brand’s first Feel The Alps campaign, notes Marcelo Amstalden Moller, global director, international premium beer portfolio, at Heineken. After launching in seven markets in 2021, he spoke exclusively to Campaign Asia-Pacific to detail why this campaign has veered away from stereotypical imagery and how he hopes local influencer insight and content will help drive the brand’s global expansion. Edelweiss launched in APAC in September last year. 

What are you doing differently with Edelweiss?

From the beginning, we've talked about the mountains, and that's something not that many beers do. They usually show parties, the beach or nightclubs, but not nature and mountains. So that's the first thing that is different.

The second thing is that we work very closely with our [local] market teams. For this campaign, for instance, we partnered with local content creators and influencers and invited them to the Alps and let them experience it themselves. I think half of them hadn't seen snow.

In parallel to this, we also shot a campaign with them. We shot more or less the same script for each market using their own local content creators. The idea was to create creative around the brand and help us bring this vibe to the streets of Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, China, and Vietnam.

This campaign is different from how beer is marketed around summer such as the sun and the beach. What convinced you to focus on the Alps?

We had a brewery in Austria in the 1600s—there is a long tradition of brewing wheat beer in the Alps at Heineken. I learned about wheat beer by talking to Austrian and German colleagues and how they all respect this very old tradition in the company. The [Edelweiss] brand has existed in Austria for a long time, but it's a very different brand there than it is internationally.

I think people look at mountains with a certain reverence. If you ask someone in China or Korea, mountains are where you go to get in touch with yourself to disconnect from the crazy life we all live in the cities. If you talk to the way we sell Edelweiss in Chile, for instance, they have the Andes mountains and it's very close to them. The Alps comes with an extra layer because many people have never been there,but it's a premium destination. 

Do you see people switching to premium beer?

There are consumers who are willing to pay a bit more to have a more meaningful experience. But it also comes from that diversification of what people drink. I think both millennials and Gen Z are very curious, very open. So they are experimenting more and trying more things, you'll see new categories emerging. Having a very clear, authentic proposition is important, because that's what ultimately will make consumers come back to you.

Gen Z is driven by brand purpose—is this something you consider when you launch in markets? 

Overall, Gen Z and millennials are looking for quality, they value authenticity, and they look for meaning and depth. People are being more choosy where they spend their money. So, they are putting money on brands that really mean something to them and add something to their lives. I think Heineken overall has a strong position in this category.