WPP has secured the global shopper marketing and commerce partnership for Heineken’s flagship brand portfolio, including Heineken®, Heineken® 0.0, and Heineken® Silver. This expanded relationship highlights WPP’s strength in delivering AI-powered marketing solutions at scale.
The partnership focuses on developing below-the-line marketing activities to create distinctive brand experiences across key consumer touchpoints. A specialized team led by VML Amsterdam will leverage WPP Open, the company’s AI-powered operating system, to deliver comprehensive brand experience and commerce solutions.
The agency will enhance Heineken’s in-store and in-bar presence, retail activations, and ecommerce strategies while developing integrated shopper experiences around major sponsorships including Formula 1, UEFA Champions League, and live music events.
Operating from WPP’s Amsterdam Campus, the team will collaborate closely with Heineken’s global team to implement activations across key markets worldwide. This builds upon existing relationships where Ogilvy supports various Heineken brands globally while Design Bridge and Partners delivers branding and design work.
Rutger van der Stegen, Global Head of BTL Heineken Brand, cited WPP’s “deep capabilities in shopper marketing” and “ability to drive higher efficiencies through WPP Open” as decisive factors in the selection.
Rogier Leliveld, WPP’s Global Client Lead for Heineken, expressed excitement about leveraging AI capabilities to create “world-class experiences” while building on their “longstanding brand strategy and design partnership.”
