Bringing people together

You can do a lot of things in the metaverse, but sharing a real drink with a friend is not one of them. Yet, Heineken decided to embrace the concept by building a virtual brewery, taking their community on a learning journey and winning Cannes Lions awards in the process.

Heineken worked with LandVault to execute this ambitious vision. The first item on the agenda was to select which metaverse to build into. Alcohol brands need to be careful to not engage with underage consumers, so a platform like Roblox was completely off limits. Heineken wanted to be on a visually mature platform to reflect what the audience would expect from a virtual bar.

The ultimate choice for Heineken was to host their Virtual Bar in Decentraland. They worked with LandVault Land Concierge to secure their land in the best location, without the use of crypto, and deliver the experience.

Virtual world for a real launch

Heineken started by building an environment where their audience could meet. Complete with a DJ, dancing, and of course the virtual beer, it embraced the metaverse and reflected Heineken’s long-established ethos of progressiveness and innovation.

Playing on the irony of a non-existent beer you can’t taste in an exclusive space in Decentraland, Heineken® highlighted the importance of real-world connections and refreshing beer moments before launching the real Heineken® Silver to consumers across Europe.