Heineken is a brand that’s keen on doing things differently – so when they approached us, we knew that we could seamlessly introduce the power of changing the music to dancers but it had to be done in a fun and engaging manner – and of course in live time.

Getting the logistics right for this live event required undergoing extensive research and understanding what music fans seek on a night out.

From the early stages, we developed The Takeover in both a creative and technical capacity: a refreshing approach for audience participation and brand engagement. This way, the music activation becomes an integrated part of the night.

The beverage acts as a voting device and allows the audience to pick between songs. A special camera registers the votes and reflects the crowd’s choice on the screen in real time, eventually mixing the winning song into the set. The music, visuals and lightshow are synchronised and seamlessly run from one single laptop.

“Every time I see those Heineken bottles light up and rise for the voting moments, I realise we developed a great experience that’s really fun to partake in. It’s like a big joint cheering moment, over and over again,” says Luc van Stiphout, Global Director of Clients at MassiveMusic.

Roeslan Danoekoesoemo, Global Sponsorship Manager at Heineken, adds: “The Takeover is a truly engaging interactive experience, adding to the entertainment of the night without being intrusive.”

Effective in driving on-site sales and event attendance, the model has been offered and rolled-out in various markets since 2016.

The campaign also saw us win at the EUBEA Awards in 2016 for the Best Musical Event, Best B2C Event and Best Creative & Innovative event. That’s something raising a beer for.