Travolta returns for Heineken’s spot in Be Cool persona

By Atifa Hargrave-Silk, Media Asia 11-Mar-05, 02:33

John Travolta will appear as Chili Palmer — the lovable gangster in the film Get Shorty — in Heineken’s latest global campaign.

The spot is part of a major deal between the beer brand and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox for product placement opportunities in the film Be Cool, which premiers globally later this month.

Be Cool is a sequel to the 1995 hit Get Shorty, in which the gangster, Chili Palmer, became a successful producer after finding his 'skills' were particularly suited to the cutthroat world of show business.

The follow-up sees Chili Palmer abandon the fickle movie business to bring his signature brand of wise-guy skills and negotiation tactics to the music industry.

In the film, he tries to help a sexy widow (played by Uma Thurman) save her record label while protecting himself from rap moguls, music promoters and the Russian mob.

The spot featuring Travolta and developed by Wieden & Kennedy will run across cinemas in Asia, kicking off in Hong Kong on March 10, in 30- and 40-second versions.

"Be Cool is part of the 'Meet you there' campaign -- (we are) taking contests and editing them for the upcoming communications campaign. It's all part of a bigger campaign which will kick off in June...we are testing with this spot and seeing the response to the teaser ahead of the larger push," said Jim Wong, marketing manager at Heineken Hong Kong.

Maxus handled media duties for Be Cool in the SAR. The campaign, which will run across 20 countries, includes point-of-sale displays, on- and off-premise promotions, radio promotions, ticket giveaways to local screenings and tie-ins with local MGM/Fox field publicity and promotional events.

Heineken also plans to run (in select markets) a promotional campaign -- 'Live the Cool Life' -- for Be Cool, offering a Los Angeles VIP trip, including accommodation, entry into top restaurants and nightclubs and other prizes. Travolta had earlier starred in a Heineken ad for the promotion of the 2001 film Swordfish.