Monday, February 18, 2013

Heineken to take Nigerian fans to Champions League Final

As part of its promise to provide an enduring consumer experience to UEFA Champions' league followers in Nigeria, the Heineken brand plans to take five Nigerian Heineken consuming football fans to this year's final in London.

The five lucky Nigerians will enjoy an all-expense paid trip to witness the final match of the UEFA Champions League at the Wembley Stadium, London on May 25, 2013.

This was the highpoint of an address by the Marketing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Walter Drenth, at a recent press conference organised to herald the brand's plan for the premium viewing experience at the premium Heineken Champions Planet in Lagos.

Drenth however added that unlike previous seasons when five winners emerged from a transparent draw ceremony, consumers who will benefit this season were encouraged to show their skills, wit and inventiveness to win tickets and be among the thousands of 'privileged' football fans that will watch the match live in Wembley stadium.

He said: "Consumers who will win must show that they are a true Man of the World: open-minded with a passion to go beyond their comfort zone. They have to be active and resourceful in their pursuit to progress in life and must be inspired by the inventiveness displayed by great players in the UEFA Champions League. Will this year be the year our consumers will go from spectators to Champions? It is history in the making, and it is under this pressure that they need to find their way to the ultimate goal; The UEFA Champions League Final."

According to the Marketing Director, visitors to the Heineken Champions Planet in Lagos are also in for an exciting time as the brand has outlined several exciting programmes to give them a premium experience.

These programmes include, among others, the StarPlayer game, an innovative interactive digital game to further engage all visitors while matches are in progress.

"Heineken Champions Planet has incorporated the brand's innovative interactive digital game, StarPlayer, in a demo room on the first floor. The game will offer the users the chance to further enhance their UEFA Champions League viewing experience by trying to anticipate what will happen next in a particular game in order to score points," he stated.

Speaking on how the relationship with the league has rubbed on Heineken brand, he stated that the partnership is a long-standing and successful one, which prompted the handlers of the brand to announce the extension of its sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League till at least the end of the 2014/15 season.

"The partnership continues to be an important component of Heineken's global sports sponsorship strategy. Heineken and UEFA Champions League is a perfect match - the world's most prestigious club tournament and the world's most international premium beer.

"You can watch the UEFA Champions League in every country where you can enjoy a cold Heineken...which is in more than 190 countries in the world. We have been strengthening our brand role in the UEFA Champions League and have moved from creating passion for the fans," he added.

Speaking further, he stated that the challenge is part of a new campaign of the brand tagged 'Road to the Final,' which has been slated for launch in April.

Former Super Eagles captain and coach, Christian Chukwu, who was a guest at the event, described the evening as an exciting one, calling on Nigerian consumers, especially football enthusiasts, to leverage on the opportunity to develop their skills of football understanding. He called on other brand owners and government at all levels not to play down the need to invest in sports.

To continue to enhance the viewing experience of the UEFA Champions League matches, the Media and Public Affairs Manager, Edem Vindah, added that the Star Player game app available at the planet has been adapted for Android phones.

He said: "We encourage everyone to download and play this interactive game if you haven't done so before. The Star Player game is all about anticipating what will happen next in a particular game in order to score points."

In addition to the Heineken Champions Planet, the Media and Public Affairs Manager also stated that the company would activate Heineken UCL Viewing Centres in premium bars across Nigeria, in order to bring the UCL viewing experience to more consumers.

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