Starring Bars: Heineken turned filming locations into income for real bars

Every Heineken production needs somewhere to place the camera. “Starring Bars” makes that location budget work twice.

The initiative books real Heineken-serving bars as sets for advertising and entertainment productions. Owners receive rental income, while production teams gain access to authentic, camera-ready locations.

Created by LePub Milan, LePub Singapore and Edelman, the global campaign launched in April 2025 as part of Heineken’s wider effort to support bar culture. It began with Heineken’s own productions, then expanded through a catalogue built for directors, producers and location scouts.

A Production Cost Became the Idea

Heineken’s starting point was a recurring expense. The company produces more than 400 commercials and branded content pieces each year, according to its campaign submission. Many of those productions need a bar.

“Starring Bars” directs those location fees to working venues within Heineken’s network. A booking can provide rental income, a temporary production makeover and valuable visibility for the business.

This makes the campaign more than a message of support. Heineken changed an existing production decision and turned it into a practical source of income. The money was already inside the advertising budget. The creative idea simply changed where it went.

That decision also fits naturally with the brand. Bars are both Heineken’s commercial partners and the social spaces represented throughout its advertising. Supporting them through the production process connects the brand’s public message with its own spending.

A Catalogue Designed for Location Scouts

For the system to grow, participating bars had to be easy to discover and book.

Heineken created an online catalogue with photographs, floor plans, availability information, location features and direct contact details. Producers can filter venues by style and assess their suitability before arranging a visit. Bar owners can also submit their venues for consideration.

The catalogue gives the campaign a useful role inside the entertainment industry. It is a working location resource rather than a promotional gallery.

Heineken supported the launch with social content, LinkedIn targeting and outdoor advertising aimed at production companies and entertainment professionals. Mobile billboards also travelled through major production centres, presenting individual bar owners and their venues as potential stars.

By 2026, more than 70 bars had joined the growing catalogue, according to the campaign’s LIONS entry.

Heineken Put Its Own Productions to Work

The brand used the system before asking the wider industry to participate.

Campaign results state that 15 bars had already been used as locations for Heineken commercials. Together, those bookings directed more than €200,000 in rental income to participating businesses.

The idea also moved into music. New York’s Bleecker Street Bar became the location for Joe Jonas’s “Heart by Heart” music video and its phone-free launch event. The production gave the venue both a location fee and a visible role in the finished work. People reported that the video and launch performance were filmed at the bar.

The execution earned a Bronze Entertainment Lion for Brand Partnerships at Cannes Lions 2025. That recognition makes sense because the campaign creates a genuine exchange between the brand, bar owners and production teams. Each participant receives something useful from the same transaction. Cannes Lions features the campaign among its 2025 Entertainment winners.

The Next Measure of Success

Heineken projects that “Starring Bars” could direct more than €4 million to venues through its annual production output. That number remains a projection. The clearest delivered result is the €200,000 reported across the first 15 participating bars.

The next proof point will be sustained demand from film, television, advertising and music-video producers outside Heineken’s own network. Those bookings would show that the catalogue can become lasting production infrastructure.

Still, the campaign already demonstrates a valuable model. It connects brand purpose to procurement, production and media investment. The support is built into the way the advertising gets made.

“Starring Bars” works because the campaign budget and the bar-support budget became the same line item.

Credits

Brand: Heineken
Agencies: LePub Milan, LePub Singapore and Edelman
Global CEO, LePub and CCO, LePub Worldwide: Bruno Bertelli
Global Chief Creative Officer: Cristiana Boccassini
Co-Chief Creative Officer: Mihnea Gheorghiu
Executive Creative Directors: Gaston Soto, Eoin Sherry and Stephan Schwarz
Director: Tommaso Bianchi
Production companies: Wanda Productions, Magic Productions and Boomerang Amsterdam