Heineken International is holding a global pitch to find an agency to create a digital platform for its flagship beer brand.
It is understood that Creativebrief is handling the review.
The lager giant will add the appointed agency to its global roster as one of its lead digital shops. The platform is expected to focus initially on Heineken, but could be rolled out across brands such as Strongbow, Foster's, and Kronenbourg 1664.
One agency source suggested Heineken is seeking to build a stronger e-commerce presence through the pitch.
Heineken works with a number of agencies in the UK and globally, including AKQA, Lean Mean Fighting Machine, and Iris Worldwide. Wieden & Kennedy handles Heineken's global ad account. It is understood that its incumbent shops will not be affected by the review.
Heineken USA selected Edelman as its corporate communications AOR and consumer AOR for the Dos Equis brand following an RFP in July. MSLGroup, which had served as corporate AOR for Heineken in the US since 2006, continued in its role as agency partner for the flagship Heineken and Heineken Light brands, as well as Amstel Light. Hill+Knowlton Strategies had served as AOR for Dos Equis since June 2010.
Heineken USA also launched a campaign this summer targeting Hispanics for its Indio beer line.
After this search process, the company will look to emulate the success of previous digital projects including the “Star Player,” which was launched by AKQA last year as a dual-screen soccer game that fans could play while watching the UEFA Champions League.
Heineken has ramped up its digital activity in the past few years. In September, it launched a TV and digital campaign called “crack the case,” starring new Bond girl Berenice Marlohe as part of its sponsorship of the latest 007 film, Skyfall.
The ad, created by Wieden & Kennedy, opened with Marlohe inviting the viewer on a train that takes a voyage through a spectacular vista of snowy mountains. A series of grueling tests were then put to the user, leading him or her to "crack the case.”
This article originally appeared on the website of Campaign, the sister publication of PRWeek at Haymarket Media.
