Heineken’s Fans Have More Friends united sports lovers on a cold winter day in New York City in the most epic way.
The new global sponsorship platform is built on the belief that fandom is one of the quickest ways to spark a connection between strangers – and on Jan. 28 it proved to be a winning truth.
(Courtesy Heineken)
Rooted in Heineken’s long-standing belief in the importance of sociability, and inspired by the book of the same name by Ben Valenta and David Sikorjak, the platform reflects how shared passions help people connect naturally. It’s the first time Heineken® is bringing together its sponsorships across football, Formula 1® and music festivals, using fandom as both a social catalyst and a way to elevate social experiences in a world that can feel increasingly lonely.
New research commissioned by Heineken shows that three-quarters of fans say their fandom has helped them meet new people, making it one of the fastest ways to create bonds at a time when many people are missing IRL connections more than ever before.
(Courtesy Heineken)
To put the findings to the test, Heineken partnered with Zac Alsop to carry out a social experiment designed to test whether fans would really show up for one another when it mattered.
The experiment followed Joe, an Australian living in New York, who found himself without anyone to watch Liverpool play Qarabağ FK in the final group match of the UEFA Champions League. Like many people, despite having a life and routine in a big city, he was facing the prospect of watching one of football’s biggest nights alone.
To help his friend and prove that Fandom is a great way to connect, Zac handed out flyers across Manhattan with Joe’s face and a simple request – Have A Beer With Me – inviting fellow fans to join him to watch the match.
Fans from across New York responded in droves, with hundreds turning up to support a fellow fan they had never met before – and the event quickly gained traction across social media. Unbeknownst to Joe, Heineken® transformed Central Park Tavern – where the meet up took place – into a ‘’Champions League-level’’ viewing experience, flying in the UEFA Champions League trophy alongside football legend Bastian Schweinsteiger who was behind the bar serving beers for fans who made the effort to come.