As a leading mobile marketer, the beer brand has been enlisting mobile to activate its various sports sponsorships for several years. The latest effort for the UEFA Champions League games stands out for how it showcases several key mobile trends, such as the enduring importance of SMS, the growth in the mobile Web and social?s strength for live events. 

?Heineken understands the importance of the second screen when it comes to a game-watching experience,? said Quinn Kilbury, senior brand director at Heineken. ?Our millennial and Hispanic fans are proven digital trendsetters and demand that content is accessible and shareable, no matter where they are watching their favorite Champions League matches. 

?Our new #ChampionTheMatch campaign allows fans to get closer to the game they love from anywhere in the world, through laptop, tablet or mobile devices,? he said. 

?For our campaign launch, we even created a new digital video where we sent unsuspecting U.S. fans to a live UCL game in Barcelona, but only after completing a challenge that required them to prove their passion on the spot. In this case, we know that half of all YouTube views are on mobile devices and would serve as perfect way to utilize mobile when engaging with our U.S. soccer fans.?

Heineken has launched a new mobile-optimized Web site, Heineken.com/soccer, which will serve as a new source for exclusive content, expert insights from UEFA legends, fan Q&A?s and other content. 

Starting yesterday, fans could follow @HeinekenSoccer and the hashtag #ChampionTheMatch. Heineken?s social content strategy will include real-time access and live commentary from former players with several guest posters expected to be on hand as well. 

The brand is also promising to deliver ?surprise Heineken twists? during marquee matches throughout the tournament. 

The marketing campaign continues in-store, where consumers in the United States can purchase Heineken UCL promo packs and text HNKUCL to 88500 for a chance to win daily prizes such as UCL branded gear or a trip to a UCL match in Europe by spinning a prize wheel. 

Rounding out the campaign is a video that chronicles what happens when Heineken offers shoppers a chance to travel to a game in Barcelona is they can convince their boss to go with them. 

The campaign is also hitting the road, with a trophy tour sponsored by Heineken. The tour, which will stop in three cities, will give fans a chance to take a photo with the trophy, view memorabilia and meet soccer legends and UCL winners in person. 

?Champion The Match is a digitally focused global campaign that will connect the world?s biggest soccer fans with some of the biggest names in soccer,? Mr. Kilbury said. ?For a select number of UCL matches, a former UCL soccer star will take over the newly launched @HeinekenSoccer Twitter handle and converse with fans live during the match! 

?Much of the campaign involves these stars showing how you can ?champion the match? from wherever you are in the world,? he said. ?Sometimes that means from a remote chalet in the Swiss Alps using a mobile device or in a New York City office.?