Heineken connects with London

Heineken has moved the creative side of its business to London agency Partners BDDH, following the lead set by several other key beer manufacturers. Previously, it was with DDFH&B, based in Dublin.

In the past five years Guinness, Murphy Stout, Kilkenny Beer and Caffrey's have made similar moves to London agencies.

The switch from DDFH&B caused surprise, not least because the agency had held the account since 1991 and, in that time, had produced award-winning work here and in European competitions.

In addition, several Heineken DDFH&B-produced campaigns were used in other European markets - an unusual development winning kudos for the Irish agency.

"We needed a fresh eye to look at the brand," says Ms Deirdre Watters, Heineken's senior brand manager. "There's nothing sinister in the move at all."

Ironically, the first Heineken campaign since the move is not one generated by the British agency, which also handles Mercedes Benz and the Guardian.

Instead it is a £4 million (€5.1 million) campaign devised by the brand's US agency, Lowes. Only the end line has been changed for the Irish market.

"There's an internationalism about all global brands," says Ms Watters.

"The six advertisements in this campaign appeal to 18- to 34-year-olds no matter where they live."

This "one world" thinking, particularly for beer brands, is rejected by freelance copywriter Mr Jim Fennessy, who has won creative awards for his work on Carling and Beamish.

"Drink is viewed differently in Ireland," he says. "It's part of the culture and the advertising should reflect that." He does feel, however, that some global campaigns work well here, such as the Budweiser frogs, because "creatively, if something is brilliant, it's brilliant and that's that. It doesn't matter where it comes from".

DDFH&B waxes philosophical about the loss of Heineken. "These things happen. We're all operating in a European market," says Mr Sean Whittaker, planning director at the agency, whose relationship with Heineken stretches back before 1991 when he worked on the account at Saatchi.

He thinks beer brands in particular move to London because they come with the sort of big budgets that British agencies are interested in chasing. "Now we're handling the global work for Baileys," he says. "The door swings both ways."