White Plains, N.Y.-based Heineken USA unveiled the details of its “Open Your Summer” program, which is designed to reward consumers and build on the excitement of summer’s celebrations. The campaign includes 360-degree activation at retail and on-premise through July in addition to TV and digital advertising, a mobile consumer engagement platform, limited-edition packaging, and a tiered national sweepstakes with daily and grand prizes.  

To kick off the program, Heineken is unveiling six limited-edition bottles inspired by the global cities they represent: New York, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Rio and Shanghai. Heineken lager packs featuring the City Bottle labels also will feature under-the-cap codes that give consumers the chance to win top-tier grand prizes as well as occasion-relevant daily prizes when they visit www.heineken.com to enter their codes. On-premise patrons also can participate by entering unique code words featured on “Open Your Summer” point-of-sale (POS) displays at participating accounts. Winners will select from a variety of daily prizes that elevate their summer gathering occasions including Mini Big Green Egg, Jambox, Mophie and many more season-relevant prizes. Every code entered also automatically places the legal drinking age (LDA) consumer into a grand prize sweepstakes for a trip to one of the six destinations  that correspond to the cities featured on the limited-edition bottles. Grand prize winners will be selected in phases through July 4.

“People love being outside during the summer and surrounding themselves with family and friends,” said Jonathan Simpson, senior director of commercial marketing for Heineken USA, in a statement. “Research shows that men LDA-49 prefer to spend a summer’s evening outdoors and enjoy entertaining significantly more than the general population … They embrace every opportunity to socialize, and the brands they purchase for entertaining are often influenced by promotions and special pricing, [according to Mintel]. Heineken’s ‘Open Your Summer’ promotion taps into the energy and excitement of summer’s casual gatherings and provides our retail and on-premise partners with a robust program that will engage their customers, increase their register rings, and keep them coming back for more.”

Targeted TV and digital advertising, retail and on-premise POS materials, including expandable, scalable display pieces and channel-specific instant redeemable coupon and mail-in rebate offers, where legal, will encourage consumers to engage with Heineken for a chance to win prizes that instantly upgrade their summer entertaining, the company says.

“Summer is a must-win season for retailers and on-premise accounts,” Simpson said in a statement. “Memorial Day and July 4th are two of the Top 5 selling weeks of the year for Heineken and total beer. During this period, loyal upscale Heineken shoppers in the grocery channel make more trips and spend more on Heineken compared to other top imports and crafts. For retailers, Heineken delivers almost double the true profit versus the upscale competition, making Heineken the brand to promote during the summer period. Our ‘Open Your Summer’ program stands apart from the clutter by allowing consumers to choose their own daily prizes from a perfectly paired gallery of options. It’s a personal touch designed to enhance their summer and keep them engaged throughout the promotion.”

Look for details about “Savor Your Summer,” phase 2 of Heineken’s “Legendary Summer,” in the coming months.