The Brief
Rather leading with brewing techniques that people generally don’t understand (e.g. lager vs. IPA vs. stout) Heineken wanted to lead with something everyone understands – flavour.
I was tasked with demonstrating this new flavour-first approach to Heineken marketing teams around the world and inspiring them to think about their brands in a truly multisensory fashion.
The Insight
To fulfil this brief I had to learn more about beer than I ever thought there could possibly be to know about beer. I learned about terpenes, the group of hydrocarbons found in hops that can give beers flavours as diverse as hay, citrus, pine and even rose. I also learned about lambic beer and with its bizarre tasting notes such as ‘barnyard’ and ‘sweaty horse’.
The Execution
I divided Heineken’s entire portfolio of beers and ciders into twelve ‘Taste Segments’, each one a distinct flavour territory.
Using published academic research on crossmodal perception, I worked with designers of all disciplines to bring the Taste Segments to life, creating a ‘Sense Profile’ for each one.
The twelve worlds define how each distinct flavour can be communicated through multisensory design elements such as imagery, graphical shape & form, lighting, textures and aroma.
The Results
The final document has been translated into multiple languages and sent to Heineken marketing teams globally.
The document has proven so successful that I was commissioned to develop it further into an immersive mentorship experience for the Heineken Global Commerce University.
The briefs were used to create a dynamic sensory environment in which the lighting, aroma, sound and video change to accentuate the flavour of each segment.
The experience has been delivered to brand and marketing directors at Heineken Campus events in Vietnam, the Netherlands, France, Ethiopia and Panama.