Heineken and Darkhorse team up with SquidSoup to launch Heinken Light Club via Saatchis NZ

Heineken, the world’s most premium international beer and the leader in New Zealand’s premium beer category is launching Heineken Light into the New Zealand market.

To celebrate the launch, Heineken has constructed a giant mirror cube in the Britomart precinct of downtown Auckland that will be open to the public. ‘The Heineken Light Club’, a creative collaboration between Heineken, Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, Darkhorse and world leading lighting art and design collective SquidSoup. It is a unique place to try Heineken Light within an interactive light and sound installation, something which has never been seen in New Zealand before. The installation encourages visitors to move through the space and experience the change in light and sound that occurs as the technology responds to individuals and their Heineken Light bottle.

SquidSoup has worked on creative lighting installations around the world including places such as the Sundance Film Festival (USA), Glastonbury Festival (UK), the V&A (UK), Tate Britain (UK), Visual Art Week (Mexico).”It’s been really exciting for us to work on this world first with Heineken Light, creating a combined sound and light experience. The additional interactivity that allows the audience to mix audio in real-time certainly elevates the work to a whole new level.” SquidSoup’s New Zealand based artistic director Chris Bennewith.

The installation has an interactive sound element that has been brought to life through the genius of local New Zealand artists Sweet Mix Kids.  They have worked closely with SquidSoup to create the unique music experience for the Heineken Light Club responding to the energy in the room. 

Says Sweet Mix Kids: “We’re avid light beer drinkers so couldn’t be more excited to work with Heineken Light and SquidSoup on the Light Club. You’ll enjoy hearing our new music and latest remixes like you’ve never heard them before, actually you haven’t as many are unreleased. They’ve been mixed up and edited especially for the Light Club to compliment the moving art and react to the space.”

Says Julia Imlah, Heineken New Zealand marketing manager: “We are hugely proud to have launched a world first 2.5% Heineken Light to address the changing consumer tastes here in New Zealand. The new product gives Kiwis a great tasting, refreshing Light beer without compromising on taste or forgoing the premium badge value of a Heineken, and is the perfect beer to extend any social occasion.”

New Zealand will become just the third country in the world to launch Heineken Light following a successful roll out in the United States and Taiwan. The launch of a 2.5% Heineken Light, however, is a world first for the brewer. Developed specially for New Zealand consumers, it meets the country’s legislative requirements for Light beer products to have alcohol content of 2.5% or below.

Heineken Light is the single biggest product launch for the brand since entering the New Zealand market in 1994, and will be available across the country from September 3rd 2015.

Creative & Lead Agency – Saatchi & Saatchi

Media Strategy – Spark PHD