Dive Brief:

• Heineken launched a global integrated Dry January campaign last week informed by company research indicating many consumers feel stigma around choosing a nonalcoholic beverage, according to information shared with Marketing Dive.
• “0.0 Reasons Needed” showcases Heineken 0.0 as an option for those choosing not to drink as well as those who enjoy the taste of the nonalcoholic beer. Research findings include that 21% of Gen Z consumers have been called out for choosing a nonalcoholic beverage.
• Several TV commercials for the campaign were directed by Hanna Maria Hendrich and are set to air globally in January. The ads challenge the assumptions people make about those choosing not to drink, such as the choice is only about being healthy or because they’re a designated driver.

Dive Insight:

Heineken’s campaign aims to dispel some of the myths around those who don’t drink at a time when many consumers are abstaining from alcohol during Dry January. In a reflection of a broader yearlong trend away from alcohol consumption, the effort takes a widened approach, spotlighting Heineken 0.0 for those looking for an alcohol alternative in general. 

Twenty-five percent of Americans took part in Dry January in 2024, up from the 16% who participated in 2023. Gen Z consumers are especially interested in alcohol alternatives, despite facing the most amount of social pressure around alcohol consumption, according to research conducted by Heineken based on a survey of nearly 12,000 adults across the U.S., Spain, U.K., Japan and Brazil. 

The stigma around abstaining from alcohol was especially felt by Gen Z men, with 38% saying they would be open to drinking a low or nonalcoholic drink only if their friends were. Twenty-nine percent said they felt the need to justify their choice of drink.

Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, who conducted the research, said in a statement that there is a shift in social situations where alcohol consumption is no longer the default.

“Yet, in cultures where drinking alcohol is still predominantly viewed as the norm, opting out can be stigmatised,” Spence said in the release. “This is particularly true for Gen Zers and millennials.”

The research also pointed to how attitudes are shifting toward nonalcoholic alternatives. A fifth of drinkers now switch between alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks during social events, according to the study. Additionally, 9% of those surveyed said they found nonalcoholic drinkers are cool compared to 4% who found them to be uncool.

Alcohol-free beer has seen steady growth as overall beer consumption has fallen in recent years. “0.0 Reasons Needed” continues Heineken’s efforts to embrace this rise in popularity while positioning its nonalcoholic product on the same footing as its alcoholic ones. 

Heineken observed a 5.1% year-to-date net revenue increase and a 3.3% Q3 increase, according to December earnings presentation by the company.