Heineken translates soccer for America through contextual DOOH campaign

As the summer of soccer grips the United States, Heineken has launched a new out-of-home campaign that aims to make the world’s most popular sport a little easier to understand for America’s growing football audience. 

Created by LePub New York, the campaign takes some of soccer’s most commonly used terms and translates them into language familiar to American sports fans. For instance, “VAR” becomes “Play Under Review,” helping bridge the gap between traditional soccer terminology and phrases commonly associated with sports like American football and baseball. 

The initiative has been rolled out across digital out-of-home media in key World Cup host cities, including New York, Philadelphia and Atlanta. The campaign spans large-format digital spectaculars, street furniture near fan zones and stadiums, and liveboards across the New York City subway network. 

The insight behind the campaign stems from a growing cultural shift in the United States. More Americans are tuning into soccer than ever before, but many are still unfamiliar with the sport’s unique vocabulary and traditions. By translating these terms into familiar sporting references, Heineken is attempting to make the game feel more accessible and encourage deeper fan engagement. 

The campaign forms part of Heineken’s broader ‘summer of soccer’ platform in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup. Earlier this year, the brand launched ‘Heineken Fan Volunteers’, encouraging fans to use corporate volunteer leave policies to watch midday matches together. 

It has also introduced a Bar Finder tool that directs fans to more than 400 football-viewing destinations across markets including New York, New Jersey, Miami, Dallas and Atlanta. In another activation, the brand executed a real-time ‘Fan Rescue’ initiative in Boston, delivering emergency supplies of beer to Scottish supporters after local bars ran out of stock. 

The company also partnered with HEINZ on a limited-edition six-pack featuring five bottles of Heineken and one bottle of ketchup, playfully dubbed “the match we’ve all been waiting for.”