Heineken Debuts ‘All-Black’ Ad That Saves Enough Energy To Power A City

Both drinkers and non-drinkers alike will be familiar with Heineken’s incredible ability to weave the most interesting of storylines into its advertisements—such as this holiday campaign from 2020 when it reimagined “happy family reunions” during the pandemic.

More recently, the brewer debuted a television spot in Brazil that’s unlike anything it’s done before: a completely black advertisement. 

Dreamed up by Publicis Brazil, the advertisement was created using screens that blocked out light, and ran on televisions during primetime slots, reaching approximately 33 million televisions simultaneously. 

According to The Drum, this intriguing, and perhaps somewhat baffling, move was part of the brand’s initiative to raise awareness for its Green Energy Project, which aims to use renewable energy at 40% of Heineken’s partner bars and restaurants by the end of the decade.

Impressively, as per LuzIS Consultancy, the blackout advertisement saved enough energy to power a small city of 57,000 residents for several hours.

Furthermore, it worked so well that the company reported the highest ever number of registrations on its site to participate in the project. 

Take a look at the unique television spot below.

[via The Drum and Publicis Brazil, cover image via monticello / Shutterstock.com]