Hasta La Creative!

Heineken USA has moved PR duties for Newcastle Brown Ale from Formula to Fast Horse, a small independent shop based in Minneapolis.

Fast Horse will be tasked with spreading the news of the brand’s ongoing "No Bollocks" campaign, which features lighthearted ribbing of conventional beer-selling ploys, such as fancy glassware and signs. While the campaign gets national TV exposure, the importer’s total spending on the brand is relatively modest. It got $5.3 million in measured media support last year, compared with the $76.8 million the importer spent on its flagship Heineken brand, according to Kantar Media.

Fast Horse, which has done work for big marketers such as Coca Cola and UnitedHealth Group, won Newcastle after a formal review that included three finalists. The agency delivered on the "challenger thinking and challenger mindset" needed for a brand like New Castle, said Charles van Es, a Heineken USA senior director of marketing who oversees New Castle and other smaller brands. "We need people who are able to think big [and] breakthrough and still understand the size of the brand and the benefits that come with it. We can be a little bit more provocative."

Continue reading at AdAge.com