← Back Published on

Final Project: Research

Johnny Driska

Professor Adgemian

Communication 150: Public Relations Theories and Principles

28 May, 2025

Final Project: Research

Team Member Contributions:

Emma: Led the analysis of the campaign’s human-centered storytelling approach and the integration of scientific research to support the strategy. Emma researched and explained the psychological foundations underpinning the campaign, including Heineken’s partnership with behavioral scientists and the Good Times Index initiative. Additionally, she detailed Heineken’s ongoing collaboration with the Human Library nonprofit and its role in extending the campaign’s impact beyond advertising.

Johnny: I focused on the overall campaign strategy, including historical context and sociopolitical background. I outlined the significance of the campaign in the environment of rising political polarization and social division globally. I also analyzed the target demographics, focusing on media trends that captivate Gen Z and Millennials and justified why these audiences were appropriate targets. I also evaluated the campaign’s digital storytelling tactics and the alignment with Heineken’s brand mission and values.

Claire: Highlighted the campaign’s communication strategy and how Heineken used digital channels, earned media, and influencer marketing to amplify their message. Claire also analyzed the public relations framing of the “Worlds Apart” video, including the use of behavioral psychology and emotional appeal to drive audience engagement. She also outlined how the campaign was executed and analyzed the success metrics tied to media coverage, viewer engagement, and consumer response. Claire and I collaborated on finding relevant information from secondary sources and assessing the campaign’s statistical impact.

Chloe: Responsible for researching and writing the initial draft of the Issue/Situation section, identifying how Heineken’s campaign responded to current social challenges and shifts in consumer values. Chloe also contributed to the Target Publics analysis, researching demographic and psychographic data relevant to the campaign’s reach, and exploring whether Heineken effectively connected with its intended audiences. Chloe found and reviewed campaign coverage in Adweek and The Guardian, summarizing key media responses and critiques of the campaign, which informed the team’s evaluation of the campaign's impact and credibility.

Issue / Situation: Growing social disparities and political polarization in "role model" nations like the US and the UK presented Heineken with a growing societal challenge in 2017. The early years of the Trump administration in the US and the aftermath of the Brexit referendum in the UK heightened public conversation defined by ideological conflict and a lack of empathetic discussion. Public conversations were becoming not only more argumentative but also less productive, often reinforcing social divides rather than bridging them. Recognizing this important social issue, Heineken decided to switch from standard product-focused advertising to a campaign that highlighted the brand's principles of unity and openness. Heineken not only tackled the division of political beliefs but also the wider social alienation that’s created when people avoid sincere dialogue with others who disagree with them. In order to encourage viewers to interact with "the other side", Heineken's Worlds Apart campaign offered a real-life example of openness and empathy. This approach allowed Heineken to stand apart from competitors by giving its product more cultural importance by associating sharing a beer with the potential to foster social connection and understanding.

Organization: Heineken presents itself as more than just a beer company, it is a way of life that emphasizes inclusivity, openness, and international connectivity. Heineken's mission is to "brew the joy of true togetherness to inspire a better world," and it incorporates social responsibility and environmental sustainability into its business practices. Its marketing approach places a strong emphasis on cultural relevance and personal connection, frequently using storytelling to start thought-provoking conversations, as shown by the "Worlds Apart" campaign.Heineken has made major pledges to environmental and social responsibility with its "Brewing a Better World" initiative, which includes cutting carbon emissions, encouraging water sustainability, promoting responsible consumption, and enhancing local sourcing. The company invests in reducing its carbon footprint by including circular packaging in its products as part of its broader ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals. Today, it is one of the largest beer producers in the world, with over 85,000 employees and operations in more than 190 countries. The company owns more than 300 international, regional, local, and specialty beer and cider brands.

Target Publics: In the Worlds Apart campaign, Heineken specifically targeted Millennials and Gen Z consumers. These demographic groups are more engaged with social justice and environmental sustainability issues than previous generations, they tend to value authenticity in branding, corporate social responsibility, and meaningful social engagement. These audiences are perfect for a campaign centered on shareable storytelling and emotional involvement since they are regular consumers of digital media, particularly video content on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Millennials and Gen Z tend to have progressive attitudes towards inclusivity and openness, which is why the campaign’s themes of dialogue across ideological divides resonated strongly. These consumers were drawn to the campaign's use of real social experiments and spontaneous interactions because they seemed authentic rather than fabricated. The message of the campaign spread naturally because the target audience was accustomed to conversations on social media and online activism. It was strategic from a marketing perspective to concentrate on these target audiences. Gen Z and Millennials are creating new consumer demographics that have a big impact on opinions of brands and cultural trends. They also demonstrate the most brand loyalty to companies that align with their values and are willing to advocate for those brands on social media.

Strategies and Campaign Execution: In a particularly stressful social environment, Heineken developed Worlds Apart to maintain its image of oneness. The campaign was set up as a social experiment that paired six strangers with different opinions on controversial topics like feminism, gender identity, and climate change. Importantly, before differences were made public, participants worked together to build a bar and two stools without knowing one another's viewpoints. ​​Participants had two options after their beliefs were revealed on video: leave or continue to talk over a beer. all chose to converse, demonstrating the brand's message that human connection and presence can bridge ideological divides. High engagement and shareability was generated by the campaign's emotional storytelling, unscripted format, and narrative arc, which created suspense and compelled viewers to follow through to the end. This strategy emphasized Heineken's positioning as a facilitator of social interaction and real-world conversation rather than just a product. Additionally, Heineken used scientific studies to support the campaign's legitimacy and effectiveness. Heineken collaborated on the ad with Dr. Chris Brauer, a behavioral scientist at Goldsmiths, University of London, whose research on shared values and social interaction influenced the campaign's message. Heineken also created the Good Times Index, which was a first for a beer corporation since it integrated social connection data with business performance measures. Heineken expanded the campaign's message beyond advertising by collaborating with the Human Library, an organization that promotes open debate to combat discrimination.

Sources

  1. Adweek. (2017, April 20). Heineken gets it right with this ad about strangers finding common ground. Retrieved from https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/heineken-gets-it-right-ad-about-strangers-finding-common-ground-171366/
  2. Goldsmiths, University of London. (2017). Heineken partners with Goldsmiths to support Worlds Apart campaign. Retrieved from https://www.gold.ac.uk/news/heineken-worlds-apart/
  3. Human Library. (2017). Heineken partners with Human Library to promote openness. Retrieved from https://humanlibrary.org/heineken/
  4. Campaign UK. (2017, April 24). Heineken's ‘Worlds Apart’ social experiment pulls emotional strings. Retrieved from https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/heinekens-worlds-apart-social-experiment-pulls-emotional-strings/1431732
  5. Heineken International. (2017). Heineken’s Worlds Apart campaign summary. Retrieved from https://www.theheinekencompany.com/newsroom/heineken-worlds-apart/
  6. Pew Research Center. (2016). The politics of climate. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2016/10/04/the-politics-of-climate/
  7. YouTube. (2017). Heineken | Worlds Apart | #OpenYourWorld [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKggA9k8DKw