E-Malt.com News article: USA: Heineken Utilizes new interactive out-of-home medium for National Advertising Campaign

Heineken, the official beer sponsor of The 48th Annual GRAMMY® Awards, kicks-off their second nationwide advertising campaign on Internet jukeboxes throughout the United States via Ecast's on-premise, interactive jukebox network, Heineken USA announced on January 24. The campaign will run on over 4400 broadband-enabled jukeboxes in bars and taverns throughout the country.

The "Go Totally Live" interactive campaign will highlight The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards and will run until February 15th, 2006. The campaign features a Heineken micro-site, downloadable collections of music on Ecast-jukeboxes by Grammy-winning artists, and a Heineken-branded trivia game. Consumers can win an additional song credit that can be used to purchase a digital song performance on the Ecast jukebox network, courtesy of Heineken. The Heineken ads will only be featured in locations that require patrons to be twenty-one or older.

"Advertising on the Ecast network allows us to reach an engaged audience at point-of-sale and strengthens Heineken's identity with music enthusiasts," said Mike McCann, Director Integrated Marketing, Promotions and Sponsorships at Heineken USA. "We have already had success -- the beta launch in select markets already secured response rates in excess of 14 percent, which is quite high."

"We expect over 9 million consumers to view the Heineken ads while visiting our locations and browsing for music on our jukeboxes, with hundreds of thousands of these consumers actively engaging in a Heineken and Grammy sponsored interactive activity," said Chris Scott, Senior Director of Advertising at Ecast. "Heineken is definitely ahead of the curve when it comes to on-premise, new media applications."

About Heineken USA

Heineken USA Inc., the nation's largest beer importer, is a subsidiary of Heineken International (Netherlands), which is the world's most international brewer. Brands imported into the U.S. include: Heineken Lager, the world's most international beer brand; Heineken Dark; Amstel Light, the largest-selling imported light beer brand; and Buckler non-alcoholic brew. Heineken USA is also the exclusive USA importer for the Tecate, Dos Equis, Sol, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands from FEMSA Cerveza of Mexico. Please visit http://www.EnjoyHeinekenResponsibly.com

About Ecast Inc.

Ecast (http://www.ecastnetwork.com/) operates the premier network of digital touch-screen jukeboxes in the United States, delivering music and advertising to over 10 million consumers per month. Each broadband-enabled jukebox is networked to a massive catalog of songs from independent and major record labels. Ecast reached 100M paid-plays in 2005 and is poised to sell over 250M by 2006. With 5,000 locations, growing at a rate of over 250 per month, Ecast serves as a unique advertising medium to both online and out-of-home advertisers by providing interactive data-capture and significant branding opportunities in every major market across the nation. Ecast is privately owned with offices in San Francisco.


25 January, 2006