Heineken captures that ‘First Sip’ feeling in global campaign ‘The First Ahhh!’ via Le Pub

There are few sensations in life that you can always rely on to provide gratification. The cold side of the pillow. The sun on your face. The first sip of a cold beer. That’s why Heineken has today launched its global integrated campaign via Le Pub, entitled ‘The First Ahhh!’ – capturing the iconic and refreshing ‘first sip’ feeling you get from a crisp, uniquely balanced Heineken.

In the fast-pace of today, the brewer recognises that feeling of refreshment is more important than ever – and it is something Heineken has delivered to the world with its unique recipe for more than 150 years.

‘The First Ahhh!’ ATL highlights the ‘first sip’ feeling you get from its perfectly balanced taste. Meanwhile, the wider global campaign showcases Heineken’s five core brewing principles to consumers, which are the secret behind the beer’s reliable high-quality, perfectly balanced taste – no matter where you are in the world.

In typical Heineken fashion, to show how much it cares about its perfectly balanced taste, the brand has been sending out its Master Brewer, Willem van Waesberghe, to measure the surfaces of bars and tables with ‘The Beer Level’ – a ‘highly scientific’ tool filled with Heineken beer designed to guarantee the perfect pint presentation!

Says Nabil Nasser, global head, Heineken Brand: “As a brand rooted in more than 150 years of brewing heritage, our perfectly balanced, refreshing taste has become known across the world as a great beer to have with friends. ‘The First Ahhh!’ embodies that feeling at the end of the day when you can grab a beer with a group of friends. We also want to bring some fun to our credentials by creating a Giant Spirit (or Beer) Level, highlighting our dedication to the craft in true Heineken wit and style. We’re excited to bottle up that unique First Ahhh!’ feeling and share it with the world.”

The ‘First Ahhh!’ campaign launches today with a global TVC directed by Alex Feil and soundtracked by a cover of the late great Nat King Cole’s ‘L.O.V.E.’, echoing the L.O.V.E. Heineken puts into its beer. The TVC dramatizes the moment you desire the taste of a refreshing Heineken but it being just out of reach – whether after a long day at work or arriving late to a party.

The viewer is taken on a journey of anticipation for the first sip, until at the crescendo of the track, the protagonist finally experiences the ‘First Ahhh!’ moment.

Says Bruno Bertelli, global CEO LePub, CCO Publicis Worldwide: “The first sip of beer is a unique experience: the pleasure, the smell, the feeling of frothiness – everything contributes to a perception of taste and enjoyment. The campaign portrays this sense of expectation and how these elements can play a role in the way we perceive taste and excitement. Creativity spins over the idea of craving, anticipation, desire and pleasure that is usually linked to the very first sip. We wanted to show how Heineken’s taste refreshes moments of effort into moments of enjoyment really turning people’s ‘agh into moments of ‘ahhh!’”

With 25 million serves of Heineken across 192 countries every single day, there is an art to maintaining this consistency. Ever wondered what makes the perfect serve? Look out for the following six signs:

1.            The glass should be held at the base – this keeps the beer as cool and crisp as possible.

2.            The tap should be opened in one firm motion – your server needs to be confident – if opened slowly, they risk squeezing squeeze the line, resulting in excess foam falling into the glass before the tap is fully opened.

3.            The glass should be tilted precisely at a 45-degree angle with the beer pouring down the inside of the glass – this creates that mesmerising whirlpool effect that whips up the foam underneath. Remember – the nozzle should never touch the beer, as this breaks the surface tension which impacts the crisp, refreshing taste.

4.            The head of foam should be solid and perfectly balanced on the arms of the iconic Red Star, all the way to the rim of the glass – in scientific terms, the perfect pint should consist of 95% beer, 5% foam, as this best brings out the beer’s aroma, whilst preventing oxidation and your beer going flat.

5.            Your server should start skimming the moment the beer overflows, using a wet skimmer at a 45-degree angle – this removes excess foam and creates an unbroken seal. Skimming removes large bubbles on top of the foam that protects it from oxygen and maintains the head for longer.

6.            Wherever you enjoy a Heineken, the ‘first sip’ feeling is best enjoyed in a glass – no matter where you are in the world, pour your Heineken from the bottle and into a lager glass to unlock the full flavour experience.

Says Willem van Waesberghe, master brewer at Heineken: “It’s easy to take for granted the refreshment and uniquely balanced taste a Heineken always provides – whether Original, Silver or 0.0 – as it is so consistent wherever in the world you enjoy it. However, there is a true science behind the sip, driven by our Five-Star Brewing Principles, including Heineken’s famous A-yeast, quality Pure Malt, 100% natural ingredients, a horizontal brewing method and our verified Star Brewers, a title that takes 10 years to attain – that provide you with the ‘first ahhh!’ feeling”.

The First Ahhh!” campaign launches today with a 63” second TVC across 75 markets. This comes as part of a global integrated credentials campaign running throughout the year, consisting of key visuals, BTL, OOH, packaging updates, PR and social campaigns.

Sr. Director Global Heineken Brand: Nabil Nasser
Heineken Global Communication Director: Daniela Iebba
Heineken Global Communications Manager: Alexander Drake
Heineken Campaign Project Manager: Elena Marcos Izquierdo
Heineken Global Digital Director: Rob van Griensven
Heineken Global Digital Manager: Valeriya Lebedeva
Heineken Global Digital Production Manager: Bram Reukers
Heineken Global PR Lead: Jonathan O’Lone
Heineken Global Commercial Development manager: Felipe Delgado
Heineken Global Director Design, Global innovation team: Mark Van Iterson
Heineken Global Senior Brand Design Manager: Caroline Van Hoff

​​LePub
TVC Film
Global CEO LePub, CCO Publicis Worldwide: Bruno Bertelli
Global Chief Creative Officer: Cristiana Boccassini
Chief Creative Officer: Mihnea Gheorghiu
Chief Creative Officer LePub Brazil: Felipe Cury
Executive Creative Director LePub Brazil: Greg Kickow
Creative Director LePub Brazil: Yan Prado
Creative Director LePub Brazil: Rodrigo Visconti
Associate Creative Director: Alessandro Agnellini
Associate Creative Director: Fernando Dominguez
Associate Creative Director: Livio Gerosa
Coordination Creative Director: Guy Lewis
Chief Strategy Officer: Sol Ghafoor
Groupe Strategy Director: James Moore
Senior Strategic Planner: Alex Moore
Global Data Strategist: Ilko Petkov
Head of Strategy LePub Brazil: Silvia Paes
Global Head of PR & Communication: Isabella Cecconi
PR Manager: Eleonora Botta
Global Client Service Director: Shirine Aoun
Group Account Director: Madalina Marica
Account Manager: Tinatin Prangishvili
Account Junior: Giulia Anselmi Aguilera
Account Junior: Chiara Allievi
Chief Production Officer: Francesca Zazzera
Head of TV Production: Anna Sica
Producer TVC: Martina Trozzi
Post-Producer TVC: Sabrina Sanfratello
Producer Beer Flow: Mariella Maiorano
Post Producer Digital: Niko Koot
Post-Producer Beer Flow: Margherita Fonseca
Producer Audio Ads: Chiara Agresta

Key Visuals and Digital Amplification
Chief Creative Officer: Milos Obradovic
Associate Creative Director: Giuseppe Vescovi
Executive Creative Director LePub Brazil: Greg Kickow
Associate Creative Director: Santi Urso
Associate Creative Director: Christopher Penman
Associate Creative Director: Adina Cirstea
Junior Art Director: Peter Sjo
Art Buyer: Caterina Collesano
Production and Print Managers: Daniela Inglieri, Tina Paolella
Head of Digital Production: Vittorio Cafiero
Digital Art Director: Ariberto Anastasi
Digital Producer Supervisor: Simona Caldarini
Photo Production & Post Production: FM

PR Launch
Chief Creative Officer: Milos Obradovic
Executive Creative Director: Eoin Sherry
Associate Creative Director: Santi Urso
Associate Creative Director: Khlauss Feldhaus
Associate Creative Director: Daniele Tesi
Senior Copywriter: Emanuela Ferrari
Production and Print Managers: Daniela Inglieri, Tina Paolella
Art Buyer: Caterina Collesano
Production beer level: ItalyMaker
Photographer: Michiel Spijkers
DOP: Daan Huttinga
Production House: Sticky Stuff – Laurien Doodeman

PRODUCTION TVC
Production Company: TEMPOMEDIA
Director: ALEX FEIL
DOP: PAUL GUILHAUME
Executive Producer: VERA PORTZ
Producer: GUNNAR MEYER

POST-PRODUCTION TVC
Editors: IAIN WHITEWRIGHT, FABRIZIO SQUEO
Color: JULIEN ALARY
Post Production: GABHA STUDIOS, PRODIGIOUS
Sound studio: DISC2DISC, MILANO

Production – Beer Flow

Production company: Where is Brian
Directors : Michael Roulier & Philippe Lhomme (FOODFILM)
Producer : Amélie Couvelaire @ Where is Brian / Quad Productions
DOP : Fabien Benzaquen
DIT / Phantom operator : Thierry Pouffary
Post-Production manager : Léo Souffrice
Editor : Bruno Herlin

POST PRODUCTION – Beer Flow
Post Production: The Mill
Color Correction: Philip Hambi
Compositor Lead: Owen Maiden
Online and Comp: Polly Gwinnett
Producer: Phil Brewster

MUSIC
Music Agency: Sizzer
Music Producer: Mees Van der velde
Music Supervisor: Richard Aardenburg
Executive Creative Director: Michiel Marsman
Executive Music Supervisor: Sander van Maarschalkerweerd

MUSIC:
Title: L-O-V-E
Composers: B. Kaempfert, M. Gabler
Publisher: Sony Music Publishing
Re-recording Music Agency: Sizzer

Dentsu
Global Client Director: Kate Hinz
Global Account Director: Thaiane Garrido
Global Strategic Digital Director: Ricardo Lopes
Global Strategy Partner: Richard Wright
Senior Strategic Planner: Maria Lekka

Catapult
Senior Vice President: Bill Flanagan
Vice President, Creative Director: Loraine Purcell
Associate Creative Director: Kyle Dunne
Senior Art Director: Mike Gmitter
Art Director: Rachel Sweet

Boomerang
Digital & Social Assets
Chief Creative Officer: Eldin Fetahovic
Executive Creative Director: Rico De Lange
Creative Director: Dio Santos
Creative Lead Dynamic: Brent Rombouts
Creatives: Jerome Hompes, Isabel Fontes, Bruno Lopes
Designer: Omar Gutierrez
Client Business Lead: Leila Popovych
Senior Account Director: Margot Corneloup
Sr Project Manager: Mustafa Al Ubaidi
Amplify Lead: Sebastiaan Poublon
Amplify Project Lead: Nathalie Meier
Lead Digital Producer: Vic Krens
Sr Digital Producer: Nina Vaisman
Digital Producer: Vladlena Arnauta
Digital Content Manager: Daria Iakovenko
Data & QC Manager: Renske de Vlieg

PRODUCTION Digital & Social

Production Company: Boomerang Agency, part of Publicis Groupe
Director: Camille Boumans
DOP: Sam Vis
Executive Producer: Han Schuurman
Lead Producer: Laura Thrower

POST-PRODUCTION Digital & Social
Post-Production Business Lead: Paulo Pennings
Post Supervisor: Mike Duistermaat
Post Producer: Lina Joukhadar
Offline Editor: Manouk Stockmann
Online Editor: Mike Duistermaat

Billion Dollar Boy (BDB)
Group Account Director: Sami Westwood
Creative Director: Alex Williamson
Senior Creative: Henry Crisp
Creative: Meg Mckenna
Junior Creative: Raychel Graham
Strategist: Gareth Clark-Jones