Heineken Unveils the World’s First Beer Insurance Scheme to Protect Football Fans against Spillages

To coincide with the summer football spectacular and to protect fans from unavoidable beer spillages, Heineken®’s creative agency Publicis London has created HeineCare, the world’s first beer insurance policy.

Football fans in the UK know all too well the disappointment of spilling their beer during a moment of match time excitement. With it being estimated that the UK spills almost 11 million pints every year during major sporting events*, it’s clear that watching football can be a dangerous pastime for beer.

Recognising this, HeineCare will provide beer lovers with a pint-shaped insurance policy. Whether celebrating a goal or lamenting a close call, if a beer gets spilt in the pub crowd commotion, football fans will be able to scan a QR code that can be found on bespoke beer mats and posters in participating pubs. This will take them to the HeineCare homepage where all they’ll have to do is input some basic information. They’ll then instantly receive a voucher to show to bar staff to claim their replacement in the form of a pint of Heineken or Heineken 0.0, completely free.

Pub-goers will be alerted to the scheme via a suite of activations created by Publicis London, spanning OOH, social and PR. The creative plays on popular adages like ‘crying over spilt milk’ with taglines such as “don’t cry over spilt beer” and “when your team wins, beer loses". While on social, Heineken® will react to some of football matches’ most spill-worthy moments, such as a last-minute back-of-the-net or a controversial VAR decision.

Moreover, to celebrate the launch of the HeineCare Beer Insurance, Heineken® has also collaborated with Amsterdam-based designer rainwear brand Rainkiss, to develop the Pint-cho, a super lightweight, achingly cool beer resistant poncho that protects fans from spilled beer. Participating pubs will have a limited number of free Pint-chos available for punters to get their hands on, and a limited batch will be also available for people to win via social media (@heineken_uk on Instagram). Adding to the fun, various celebrities, football luminaries and high-profile influencers will be sharing content of themselves in their own Pint-chos, circumventing spillages, throughout the football season. 

Noel Bunting, chief creative officer, Publicis London said, “Beer insurance is exactly the thing every football supporter never knew they needed, until now. We wanted the creative to speak directly to fans who know first-hand how easy it is to spill your beer while enjoying the match and let them know, there’s no need to worry anymore. Dry your eyes and the table - HeineCare has you covered.”

Stephanie Dexter, marketing manager, Heineken added, “Heineken is committed to showing that being a real fan is not about how you look - it’s about how you behave and express your love for football. But in the UK, we know expressing your love for football can be dangerous for beer. So, this summer, Heineken is committed to taking on the crucial job of protecting fans' beer.”