Design has been integral to the success of the Heineken brand worldwide over the past decade.
In 2015, Heineken set out to double the size and market share of the brand within 10 years. This bold objective was triggered by the merger of the world’s largest and second largest brewers to become a giant competitive threat for third-placed Heineken.
The role of design was elevated across the business and Heineken International collaborated with agencies Bulletproof Amsterdam, Design Bridge Amsterdam, Froq, ITG, Kellerman, LEW, LOVE Creative, Make it Heppener, npk, Reggs and Sunshine&Sausages, together evolving the brand to become even more iconic.
All touchpoints were redesigned from packaging to draught columns to merchandise materials, and in a stagnant/stable beer market over the decade, Heineken’s value share grew from €14.6billion to €30billion. Attributing just 20% of that growth to effective design equates to €3billion total revenue in 2024. Heineken’s market share of beer value has more than doubled from 2.5% to 5.1%, and the business has decreased its carbon footprint per hectolitre by 23% by making its products more circular.
