UK – Heineken kicks off 2025 with a bold new global campaign for its non-alcoholic beer, Heineken 0.0, aimed at breaking the stigma around alcohol-free choices and championing the right to go alcohol-free without needing a reason.

Titled ‘0.0 Reasons Needed,’ Heineken’s latest campaign delivers a clear message: choosing to go alcohol-free shouldn’t require an explanation. The campaign is reinforced by a series of TVCs that humorously challenge common stereotypes, such as assuming someone is the designated driver or on a health kick.

By celebrating personal choice, the brand aims to uplift those who choose Heineken® 0.0 simply for its refreshing taste, empowering individuals to embrace moderation—whenever and however they want.

Nabil Nasser, global head of Heineken® Brand, shared, “The launch of Heineken® 0.0 in 2017 revolutionised the non-alcoholic space. A premium, high-quality brand offering a 0.0 has helped make moderation cool. It’s exciting to see this new research uncover a growing social acceptance of non-alcoholic drinks—not just accepted, but also something people see as a cool and confident choice.”

“That said, you can see there is still work to be done with the research spotlighting low and no alcohol judgement still exists, so we need to be dynamic and inventive around how we tackle these stereotypes. We’re proud of our great-tasting Heineken® 0.0 and its role in helping to remove the stigmas in this space so people can enjoy it without being judged. Perhaps someone is the designated driver, or maybe they just really fancy a refreshing Heineken® 0.0—our latest campaign shows the bottom line is, you don’t need a special reason to go alcohol-free,” Nasser further explained. 

Heineken 0.0’s new campaign is supported by a recently commissioned study with University of Oxford Professor Charles Spence, which highlights that going alcohol-free can still raise eyebrows—particularly among Gen Z.

The survey found that 21% of Gen Z in the UK, USA, Japan, Spain, and Brazil have hidden their non-alcoholic drink choices due to social pressures, with over one-third feeling pressured to drink alcohol in social settings.

Charles Spence, Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, explained, “Our study has uncovered some fascinating insights into evolving societal attitudes towards alcohol consumption. For many, alcohol is no longer the default in social situations—we’re seeing a shift towards more mindful consumption. Yet, in cultures where drinking alcohol is still predominantly viewed as the norm, opting out can be stigmatised. This is particularly true for Gen Zers and millennials.”

“For generations, alcohol has played a central role in the way humans socialise; therefore, dominant assumptions and stereotypes surrounding our drinking habits remain deeply ingrained in society,” Spence added. 

Heineken’s new campaign is part of the brand’s ongoing effort to expand the non-alcoholic beverage category and reshape consumer perceptions around alcohol-free choices. Beyond growing the market, Heineken seeks to ease social pressures tied to moderation and dismantle the stigma around opting out of alcohol, promoting the right to make judgement-free decisions.

Directed by Hanna Maria Hendrich and filmed in Barcelona, the TV commercials will air globally in January 2025. Heineken remains committed to promoting moderation through campaigns like “When You Drive, Never Drink” and its global sponsorship of Formula 1®.

Milan, Italy – MSC Cruises, the contemporary brand of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, has partnered with Dentsu Creative Italy for the launch of its newest ‘For a Greater Beauty’ global integrated marketing campaign. 

The campaign aims to encourage audiences to explore and enjoy the beauty of cruising in a more conscious way, placing a profound respect for the ocean and the planet as part of everyone’s recreational enjoyment.

Narrated by the alluring voice of ‘Beauty’, the campaign’s one-minute TV spot invites audiences to immerse themselves in the world’s destinations, into nature, and into wonderful experiences on and off board.

MSC Cruises new campaign promotes conscious cruising to protect the beauty of the ocean and the planet.

Onboard MSC World Europa, the TV spot, filmed by Australian director Kiku Ohe, featured famous cruise locations such as the Mediterranean Sea, including Barcelona, Marseille, La Valletta, and Naples. It also featured the cruise’s entertainment and dining experiences.

The production has a ‘Birth’ signature on it and was shot over 14 km of film, marking its value that transcends advertising.

‘For a Greater Beauty’ campaign will be activated in more than 30 countries worldwide, including Singapore, China, and Japan. It will be seen through a mix of marketing channels, including TV, out-of-home (OOH), print media, digital, and social media.

Antonio Burrello, chief marketing officer at MSC Cruises, shared, “Inspired by the philosophy of beauty that pushes us forward, this new brand campaign encapsulates the essence of MSC Cruises. Simultaneously, it showcases how our uniquely elegant and modern cruise ships enable guests to discover the world in unparalleled ways. This year, those looking to escape the daily routine to discover the beauty of cruising can choose from over 1,000 different departures calling at more than 240 destinations in 85+ countries.”

Also speaking on the campaign, Emanuele Nenna, CEO of Dentsu Creative for Southern Europe, MENA, and Turkey, said, “It’s a great privilege for us to work with such a world-class leader as MSC Cruises. It’s a privilege and a challenge for us, as an agency and a global network, to have the chance to prove and leverage on all our range of expertise. This campaign is the first milestone of our relation; our will is to grow together with MSC to support the company’s business and communication ambitions.”

Riccardo Fregoso, chief creative officer at Dentsu Creative Italy, also added, “It has been an honour to shoot this film in the company of the great director Kiku Ohe, sailing the Western Mediterranean across so many unique destinations: Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Naples, Messina, Malta… There’s so much to discover and so much to be amazed at. And this is exactly what we wanted to celebrate with this campaign. We chose to shoot it entirely on 35mm film because we wanted to capture what we were experiencing in the most accurate way but also doing it with a touch of poetry. What we created is an ode to beauty in all its expressions, and especially to the beauty of the sea.”

Australia – Sydney Water partners with creative agency It’s Friday for its latest water conservation campaign that spotlights water conservation ways with iconic water-wasting character ‘Bob’.

The campaign presents a TVC that features the character ‘Bob’, who is joined by his ten-year-old self. In the TVC, Little Bob picks on Bob’s water-wasting ways and highlights the simple steps everyone else can take to conserve it.

Bob is a character that has become synonymous with Sydney Water, and It’s Friday’s task was to bring this beloved character to life in the campaign.

The creative agency brings in Aussie actor Shane Jacobson to play Bob. Meanwhile, a nation-wide search for a 10-year-old boy was conducted to find someone who has the same bone structure as Shane. all of this to fit his mini-beard made out of human hair and make the match as close as humanly possible.

The water conservation campaign will appear across TV, radio, OOH, and social channels.

Sydney Water’s campaign comes as signs of an expected dry summer, and returning El Nino conditions pose a risk of possible water restrictions for the city.

Megan Miller, head of brand at Sydney Water, said, “Sydney Water is delighted to be partnering with Its Friday to create cut-through, clever advertising to spike awareness around the very serious issue of water conservation as we approach the prospect of another drought. Enticing Sydney to save water isn’t an easy task, particularly with unpredictable weather and fluctuating dam levels.”

She added, “It’s Friday injected new life into our long-running Bob campaign, ensuring that its water-saving message will be noticed by as many Sydneysiders as possible at this crucial time for our water supply.”

Speaking on the campaign, Vince Lagana, CCO and co-founder of It’s Friday, also shared, “We’re taught to save water as kids, but over time, apathy sets in. Little Bob hits his older self and Sydneysiders with a truth bomb: You know not to waste water; you have always known, and you need to stop doing it.”

Indonesia – Global confectionery company Cadbury has launched a new TVC for its Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate brand, reinforcing the brand’s ethos of ‘generosity’ and brand platform of ‘goodness in everyone’ to consumers and markets in the SEA region.

The TVC, which was created in collaboration with creative agency Ogilvy, was developed with the objective to demonstrate the Cadbury goodness or the ‘Rasakan Lembutnya Kebaikan’, which in English translates to ‘Taste/Feel the softness of goodness’. Its story is anchored in the universal truth of not judging a book by its cover, to go beyond snap judgment and allowing softness in action and reaction, which manifests into a little more goodness around us. 

Cadbury said that the authentic tone of the brand and the storytelling which has the duality of ‘goodness in us’, as well as the product, is captured in the story and also breaks ad stereotypes in the region.

Nikhil Nicholas, Cadbury’s chocolate category lead for SEA, commented, “We fell in love with the script and it’s amazing to see it come to life on screen. Rasakan Lembutnya Kebaikan is our way of marrying both product and purpose for Cadbury Dairy Milk by showing how softness leads to goodness which speaks to the heart of this piece of communication.”

Meanwhile, Nicolas Courant, chief creative officer at Ogilvy Singapore, said that their teams in SEA came together and undertook a massive strategic and creative exploration process across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, over a 6-month period to bring this story to life. 

“It was a true reflection of our commitment to borderless creativity and to Cadbury as a brand. In some markets our relationship with Cadbury stretches over 50 years, so we could tap into an immense amount of knowledge and experience across the network,” added Courant.

The TVC is now available in Indonesia and Malaysia, and is set to launch in the Philippines in July.

Australia – Australia’s free TV Freeview has launched a new on-air awareness campaign across Australia’s free-to-air networks ABC, SBS, the Seven Network, Nine Network & Network 10 to reintroduce Australian viewers to the array of free premium content available on their connected TVs via Freeview.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sibSxU_tbPI&list=PLzoqwK06lee_CqFFApRJH0Do8wgDLf8Gl

Freeview offers over 30 channels and over 50,000 episodes of local & international content for free with no charges and fees. The TV operator spotlights its comprehensive Freeview search function that makes content easier to discover as viewers can actively search for content across all Australian free-to-air channels including ABC iview, SBS On Demand, 7plus, 9Now, and 10 play. 

In addition, Freeview has also announced Jamie Zarzycki as the new head of marketing & insights for Freeview Australia with immediate effect.

Jamie Zarzycki is the new head of marketing & insights for Freeview

Zarzycki is a marketing professional with over 20 years experience in entertainment & media marketing including time at FOX International Channels, FOX Network Group, XYZ Entertainment, EMI & Virgin.

Zarzycki said of the new role, “I’m excited by the opportunity to work alongside the Freeview team & our channel stakeholders to reengage Australian audiences with what is an incredibly strong content offering, built on a world-class platform. I’m positive most Australians will be delighted to discover the depth & breadth of free premium content currently on offer directly via their connected TV screens.”

General Manager of Freeview Australia Dean Dezius commented, “Since launching our new integrated HbbTV platform in April last year, Freeview has seen enviable growth in user engagement & usage, and we look forward to increasing those metrics as Australian audiences discover the world-class content offering provided by Australia’s free-to-air broadcasters.”

Dezius adds, “More than (17 million) Australians watch FTA television every week, and broadcast video on demand (BVOD) services from the likes of ABC iview, SBS On Demand, 7plus, 9Now & 10Play enjoying a (38% increase YoY), we have an insatiable appetite for great content that Freeview can go a long way to satisfying. Bringing Jamie on board to the Freeview team has had immediate effect and we welcome his energy, ideas and thinking on how we can bring the brand to life in the short & long term and this latest campaign is just beginning”.