In Heineken 0.0’s New Ads, it Doesn’t Matter Why You’re Going Dry

Behold the designated driver—crowds part for him, bartenders give him preferential treatment and friends hail him for taking one for the team.

But what if this man, the star of a new global ad for Heineken 0.0, simply decided not to drink booze on this particular night out? Does he have to pretend he’s a chauffeur to justify his teetotaling?

The campaign, dubbed “0.0 Reasons Needed” from agency LePub, uses a light touch to delve into a rather weighty issue: While the sober curious movement continues to gather steam and devotees, lingering stigmas and peer pressure can make it awkward for those who abstain.

The eight-year-old Heineken 0.0, which became one of America’s best-selling non-alcoholic beers via masterful marketing and big spending, dropped the work to kick off Dry January.

The brand said it aims to chip away at stereotypes and defend “people’s right to make judgement-free choices.” In other words, if someone goes dry, it doesn’t matter why.

Since its launch in 2017, Heineken 0.0 has “helped make moderation cool,” according to Nabil Nasser, global head of Heineken Brand. But there’s an entrenched taboo that still exists, “so we need to be dynamic and inventive around how we tackle these stereotypes.”

“0.0 Reasons Needed” provides a welcome change from the category norm, noted booze-free advocate and author Hilary Sheinbaum.

“Brands aren’t typically addressing the elephant in the room, which is that friends, family, co-workers, and strangers might think the non-drinker has a specific agenda for abstaining,” Sheinbaum told ADWEEK. “On the one hand, it shows that people can be judgmental. But I think the moral of these clips is that you shouldn’t judge a beer by its lack of ABV.”

A dichotomy chaser

Along with the campaign, Heineken released a study from University of Oxford professor Charles Spence showing that acceptance of low- and no-alcohol drinks is at an all-time high, though choosing one “can still raise eyebrows.”