How Heineken became creative brand of the year - Ali Payne

Ali Payne, CMO of Heineken, joins us to discuss how one of the world's most iconic beer brands became Creative Brand of the Year at Cannes Lions - and what it takes to keep a 150-year-old brand feeling fresh.From being the "Official Beer of Soccer" as a non-sponsor of the FIFA World Cup to reviving the legendary "Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign, Ali shares how Heineken balances long-term brand building with cultural relevance. We explore what it takes to get an entire organisation behind bold creative ideas, the role of sport in Heineken's marketing strategy, and how brands like Birra Moretti continue to grow through innovation.Timestamps00:00 - Trailer00:56 - World Cup fever for the USA and Heineken02:51 - Jumping on cultural moments04:25 - Becoming the official beer of soccer (unofficially)06:50 - How non sponsors got more coverage than sponsors for the World Cup10:18 - How to manage a 150 year old brand12:31 - Winning Cannes creative brand of the year14:46 - Getting the wider business on board with creative work17:06 - Ali’s favourite Cannes Lions winner18:38 - Bringing back Dos Equis most interesting man22:58 - The success of Birra Moretti24:49 - Heineken’s sports sponsorship strategy28:32 - How are Heineken bringing new people into the category29:56 - The ingredients for a successful innovation33:12 - Heineken’s partnership with Heinz37:08 - How great CMOs keep creativity alive40:11 - What makes a great CMO?41:58 - What’s the best advice you’ve ever recieved? ---Thank you to our sponsors System1 and HubSpotDownload System1's creator effectiveness report here:https://system1group.com/the-creator-effectiveness-playbookFind about more about HubSpot's AEO product here:https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo