HEINEKEN AND 7-UP PARTNER TOGETHER FOR THE SUMMER

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Heineken is bringing back its 360-degree “Cities” program for this summer and joining forces with 7-Up to expand the program’s reach and drive incremental sales of both brands.

The Cities program aims to inspire consumers to break from their usual routines and make the most of their cities whenever they enjoy a Heineken or Heineken Light beer.

This second iteration of the “Open Your City” campaign will once again feature a limited run of city-specific bottles in 14 select markets, including five global cities and nine U.S. cities. Among them are New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, San Francisco and Honolulu.

From Memorial Day through Labor Day, shoppers can scan any limited-edition Heineken City bottle, as well as Heineken Lager, Heineken Dark and Heineken Light bottles, with augmented-reality app Blippar to enter a sweepstakes to win a trip to one of the program’s 14 featured cities. The sweepstakes will also give away daily instant summer rewards.

“Heineken consumers embrace the thrill and endless possibilities of city life,” said Jonathan Simpson, director of commercial marketing at White Plains-based Heineken USA. “As city insiders, they make the most out of every moment, wherever and whenever that may be. Through our Cities program, Heineken is inspiring our consumers to discover and share summer’s unique experiences every time they interact with Heineken. When they choose Heineken, they can bring summer to life anywhere.”

In-store, Heineken and 7-Up will partner on dual-branded display and point-of-sale elements, as well as cross-merchandising offers, to capture shoppers’ attention and encourage a cross-category purchase.

Targeted television advertising in both English and Spanish, along with shopper-targeted digital media such as Ibotta, Brand.net and Blippar, will build awareness and interest while driving shopper traffic to participating retail outlets through relevant content and interactive experiences, Heineken stated.

The 2015 Cities promotion will run through Sept. 30.