Equipped with the highly esteemed DJ Armin van Buuren, the first aim of Heineken's "Dance More, Drink Slow" campaign is to entice clubbers to “Dance More” and “Drink Slow”. Wow. But apart from that and the clear misrepresentation of an English adverb (a feat I was told off for a year ago with the same tagline during a presentation), it seems that they are quite obviously targeting the wrong crowd. For a target audience who listen to progressive Trance music, is it really excessive alcohol consumption which is brought to the top of your mind? No. Ecstasy, MDMA, Cocaine, Speed and whatever other club related Class A drug exists are only some of the Human Traffic (film) paraphernalia that spring to mind which enable the clubber to “Dance More”.
Additionally, for an organisation who has spent the last 100+ years championing poor beer standards through cheap production and heavy promotions, I’m left wondering whether they’re simply trying to reverse a trend which they heavily contributed towards in the first place. Boxes of 20 Foster’s cans are frequently available on promotion at an RRP of £12, and 10 John Smith’s cans are currently promoted at 2 for £17, rendering their actions contradictory. If you want people to “Drink Slow”, why offer them cheap booze?
So why target the clubbing scene? Does it not seem misguided? Not at all. If Heineken were to attempt to dissuade pub and bar drinkers (where most irresponsible drinkers spawn) from drinking Beer then they would lose a grand proportion of their on-trade business. In my view, this is a feeble attempt to grow on-trade sales by targeting a market whose eyes will be too dilated to distinguish a Heineken from a Stella Artois, while simultaneously demonstrating their commitment to "corporate social responsibility".
For someone who spent a year or two as a teenager, I have my fair share of stories to tell which could only have come about as a result of excessive drinking and, as I’ve mentioned before, I am not here to preach anything, in particular “Responsible Drinking”. But Beer is raising its status as a sophisticated alcoholic beverage, able to challenge whiskey in standing and knock wine off its pedestal.
This brings me back to my focus on Taste. To enable people to drink Beer responsibly, flavour needs to be revolutionised and consumer passion for brands need to be enhanced. Can you imagine sitting around a table with a group of friends discussion which lager out of Stella Artois Black and Tyskie you prefer and why? Maybe you can, but I surmise that conversation would last no longer than thirty seconds: "Ooh it's particularly malty and a little yellower/fizzer".
Craft Beer is the future. Craft Beer enables conversations about various Porters with chocolate, coffee or liquorice notes, hoppy Pale Ales with hints of Honey and Golden Syrup, or IPAs with overriding tastes of mango, grapefruit or citrus fruit. Craft Beer enables discussions about Chocolate, Crystal or Caramel Malts, Goldings, Ahnatum or Nelson Sauvin Hops, or even whether natural or forced carbonation has enhanced or hindered taste.
Craft Beer also enables the drinker to spend more money on quality rather than less money on quantity. I believe this to be a critical step towards “Responsible Drinking” from the point of view of Beer manufacturers. We must educate through the palate and ensure that people understand that Beer is not a cheap watered down product which should be drunk for the purpose of "binging".
If this campaign is successful, Heineken will have an excuse to put a premium price on their crappy products, extend its lecherous pricing policy into other establishments, and give its brands the appearance of high quality.
Don’t let them do it, drink Craft.
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