Amstel, a Heineken brand, celebrated the people who work behind-the-scenes to make the Carnaval festival happen.
Amstel found itself amid the fierce competition between beer brands during Carnaval, a Brazilian festival. Amstel, a product of Dutch brand Heineken, was first released in Brazil in 2015. Since then, Amstel has managed to challenge market giants and gain a significant space in the sector. Maintaining this growth curve during Carnaval was extremely important to Amstel.
In an extremely competitive scenario such as Carnaval, there is no room for error. A failed Carnaval campaign affects the rest of the year and puts previous achievements at risk.
In order to hold on to what the brand achieved and remain competitive during the festival, Amstel had to find a space for itself during Carnaval 2024. At the same time, it was important to continue building on the positioning of a brand that celebrates diversity and individuality.
São Paulo is the largest and richest state in Brazil and with significance for most any business in the country. The majority of musical and cultural events take place there, where people often consume alcohol.
Amstel's target audience consisted of people who love to party, have a strong connection with music, and enjoy learning more about what they love. To create a connection with this audience, Amstel had to show that it was involved with and cared about Carnaval as much as everyone else.
Through a study done in partnership with Datafolha, Amstel discovered the interests, values, and perspectives of people who work Carnaval. The brand realized that these professionals, those who work throughout the year to create Carnaval, are not recognized enough.
Amstel's entire campaign was conducted on social media (Instagram and YouTube) before the event, increasing the Carnaval-focused communication and amplifying the theme to the audience itself, who consumes beer-related content during the festival.
With the Amstel Wing, Amstel started the "Champions Parade." For the first time ever, Amstel brought every samba school together, holding hands and singing the same samba. With a samba written by local composers at the brand's request, over 200 members of the schools sang "I AM Carnaval."
Amstel also sponsored block parties and used OOH advertising with the campaign's slogan "I AM Carnaval," highlighting Amstel's commitment to the festival.
Amstel, and agency partner HNK Lab, worked on four different fronts to ensure the brand was present at strategic points throughout Carnaval.
OOH media aimed to ensure the brand was present in the streets, covering a route that matched the path of São Paulo partygoers on the way to block parties or the Sambadrome.
Social media was an important asset to maximize the campaign, bringing the mini documentaries of Carnaval workers to both Instagram Stories and Reels. Influencers were also an important part of the paid media plan, including people who were relevant to the Carnaval in São Paulo.
Amstel partnered with Uber to create sponsored pick-up and drop-off points in the Anhembi Sambadrome and pick-up and drop-off points at Expo Center Norte, as well as in special locations such as hotels, bars, and restaurants.
With I AM Carnaval, Amstel deepened its connection with Carnaval and São Paulo consumers. Brand salience increased from 98 to 103 points from the first quarter of 2023 to the same period in 2024. Brand differentiation also grew by 7.2 percent.
Around 54 percent of journalistic content about Amstel was related to the I AM Carnaval campaign, which made it clear that Amstel's interest in Carnaval was genuine.
