W+K Amsterdam’s World Cup Spot for Heineken Is…Perplexing
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“What the hell was that?” — That is our (and, we’re guessing, your) reaction to “Oranjekoorts (Orange Fever),” W+K Amsterdam’s 2014 FIFA World Cup spot for Heineken, the agency’s first work for Heineken Netherlands.
The campaign actually began earlier this year with the search for Heineken’s first Chief Orange Officer (you can’t make this shit up), described as a “legitimate [cough] full-time role that sought a representative as Dutch as Heineken, but who shared the same international outlook and would be committed to spreading Orange Fever in The Netherlands and across the globe.” Heineken advertised the legitimate position on their own recruitment channels and throughout the Netherlands. After reviewing more than 2,500 applicants, the position was awarded to Marco van Houwelingen, who will fill the year long role at Heineken’s Amsterdam headquarters.
The 65-second spot features a float representing “everything great about the Netherlands and the Dutch,” making its way through a Brazilian Carnival. Lead by Heineken’s Chief Orange Officer, the float includes a windmill, illusionist Hans Klok, and Dennis Bergkamp, among various other weirdness. Float participants all dance to a samba version of the song “No Limit” by 2 Unlimited, “one of the world’s favorite 90’s anthems” (which is not how anybody outside the Netherlands would describe the song). Watch the confusing mess for yourself above, and stick around for credits after the jump. Maybe you just have to be Dutch to get it.
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