The Heineken Wrapping Bar launched its experiential pop-up in the Oak Room at Union Station, inviting holiday shoppers and busy travellers to take a sip of a non-alcoholic Heineken 0.0 and take advantage of a complementary gift-wrapping service. The pop-up is running from Dec. 18 to 22.

“The holiday season is the perfect time for an activation like this because it aligns seamlessly with Heineken’s brand role in celebrating and enjoying quality time with loved ones,” Jose Casillas, marketing director of Heineken Canada, tells strategy.

Heineken’s core demographic includes young professionals who embrace memorable social experiences, Casillas says, adding the “opportunity for expansion lies in reaching busy urbanites and commuters, making Union Station a natural fit for this activation.”

According to a 2024 Leger study of 2,500 Gen Z and millennial participants, 15% of Gen Z and 17% of millennials report that they don’t drink alcohol anymore, while 26% of Gen Z and 31% of millennials say that they have reduced consumption. Occasions such as Sober October and Dry January continue to grow in popularity.

For its latest quarter, the company reports that its non-alcoholic beer and cider grew 11% as Heineken “further reinforced global leadership in the segment.”

To amplify the campaign, Heineken is leveraging paid media on Meta, digital OOH, owned social channels, earned media and sponsored content.

“We are sharing key details through targeted social ads and reaching gift shoppers with digital OOH ads in high-traffic areas,” Casillas says. “This multi-channel approach ensures visibility and engagement, drawing attention to the Wrapping Bar as a fun and memorable way to elevate holiday shopping.”

The campaign was developed with support from Publicis Toronto for creative and strategy, Publicis Sport & Entertainment for experiential, North Strategic for PR, Billups for media concept and Publicis Connect for media.

In January, Heineken ran a public crawl, absent any alcohol, taking people to select downtown Toronto establishments via the TTC. Its Heineken “Route 0.0” streetcar (above), complete with “Cheers with no alcohol” wrap, shuttled dry-minded revelers.

“Heineken’s Route 0.0 was incredibly successful and will be returning for 2025,” Casillas says. “The Route 0.0 activation in January speaks to a hyper-relevant moment of the year where most people are staying in and cutting down on alcohol consumption coming out of the holidays.”