Heineken continues its motor-racing-inspired marketing activity with an ad starring not one but two former Formula One world champions.
Created by Publicis Italy, "Father and son" follows Keke Rosberg and son Nico as they compete to earn a seat behind the family steering wheel.
After a series of defeats, Nico unwinds with a non-alcoholic pint, leading him to snatch the car keys from his dad and drive home to Cat's In The Cradle by Harry Chapin.
The spot ends with the tagline: "The better driver is the one who doesn’t drink." It was directed by Martin Werner through Bacon Copenhagen.
This is supported by social media, digital and experiential activity.
"We are committed to responsible consumption and want to use the power of the global Heineken brand for good," Gianluca Di Tondo, senior director for the global Heineken brand, told Campaign.
"We use our F1 global platform to reach millions of people with a compelling and bold responsibility message: when you drive, never drink. As one of the world’s most captivating and visible sports, F1 is the perfect platform from which to lead the conversation about drink-driving and make a positive difference."
The campaign follows a study commissioned by Heineken that found a quarter of drink-drivers believe they drive well under the influence of alcohol. The research also found alcohol-free options to have a positive impact on drink-driving behaviour.
Nico Rosberg said: "Heineken has devoted part of its F1 partnership to conveying a clear and compelling responsibility message that I myself share, one that leaves consumers in no doubt: when you drive, you never drink.
"The latest campaign conveys a really powerful message that, regardless of whether you’re a professional driver or not, abstinence behind the wheel is the only option."
This isn’t the first time Nico Rosberg has starred in a Heineken ad – in 2018, he turned down "just one beer" as part of the brand’s anti-drink-driving programme.
Heineken first kicked off its "When you drive, never drink" campaign in 2016 with ads starring former racing drivers Sir Jackie Stewart and David Coulthard.
Luissandro Del Gobbo, global executive creative director at Publicis Italy, added: "Heineken’s brand belief is based on the view that if you look at life with a fresh perspective, you will enjoy it more, so our challenge is to find a unique and fresh perspective across the campaigns.
"The 'When you drive, never drink' campaign is hugely important for Heineken and also for everyone who worked on it. This is a powerful message of zero alcohol behind the wheel and there definitely wasn’t a lack of engaging ideas flying around."
This marks the third major work launched by Heineken this year, with the brand also releasing ads focusing on famous martini drinker James Bond and gender stereotypes in drink orders at bars.
