Heineken marks a million Facebook 'likes' with viral campaign

The viral film, by AKQA, is named 'One Million Hugs' and features a group of Dutch female models visiting bars in Amsterdam and hugging male lager drinkers. The clip ends with the line "Thanks a million".

The beer brand has brought together multiple Facebook pages and created a single global page.

Floris Cobelens, manager of global digital media at Heineken, said: "While no one can claim today they are mastering the digital revolution, we at Heineken are ahead of the pack, behind a very steep learning curve, and a full-hearted commitment to capitalize on the opportunities new media offer."

Last month, Heineken rolled out a global ad campaign, by Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam, featuring a character who effortlessly navigates his way through social situations. The ad aims to emphasise Heineken's premium lager positioning.

In December, the company announced plans to launch a Facebook store selling branded merchandise as part of its unified global marketing strategy.

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk