The deal gives Heineken a package of worldwide rights, including use of Rugby World Cup 2015 event marks and designations in promotional tie-ins, pouring rights in stadia at all official Rugby World Cup outlets and digital content rights to use across social media platforms.
Heineken has been sponsoring the Rugby World Cup since 1995 and said its sponsorship of the 2011 tournament in New Zealand had been very successful.
Chief commercial officer Alexis Nasard said: “As the world’s most international premium beer brand, we are delighted again to be an integral part of the world’s premier rugby tournament for 2015.
“The Rugby World Cup is the world’s third largest sporting event, with a truly global reach. It is a perfect match for Heineken, and allows us to be a genuine part of our consumers’ conversation in a consistent but surprising way. It also gives us the continued opportunity to extend our messaging and execution around Enjoy Heineken Responsibly, the brand’s global responsible drinking programme.”
Worldwide, more than four billion people watched the Rugby World Cup this year, but Heineken said digital media had also been an integral part of its sponsorship campaign. With digital content on You Tube, Facebook and Twitter, the brand doubled its followers on Twitter and got more than a million views on YouTube.
