Heineken has launched reviews of its global media, production, and creative agency relationships with the aim of “streamlining” its agency roster.
Campaign understands the media and production review is being run as one pitch, while its global creative review is being run separately, although to a similar timeline.
Heineken did not outline the timelines or exact nature of the pitch process for creative and media, but a spokesperson for the brand did confirm the review.
The brand also separately confirmed that the review is running across Heineken brands, which include Foster’s, Amstel, and Birra Moretti.
The spokesperson said: “Heineken is transforming its marketing operations, combining the world’s best talent across creative, media, production, data, and technology with AI. This includes evaluating our agency partnerships to ensure they meet strategic, operational, and commercial needs. In today's rapidly evolving marketing landscape, streamlining our agency roster will reduce fragmentation and facilitate the global scaling of ideas.”
Heineken's estimated global media spend is US$415 million (£308 million) according to COMvergence.
Dentsu is the incumbent on Heineken's global media account. It secured a two-year extension with the brand in March 2025 and has been working with the brand for nearly 10 years.
Heineken also works with Publicis on media in select markets, and has been working with WPP on its global shopper marketing and commerce remit since March last year.
Publicis boutique agency LePub is the incumbent on the Heineken brand ad account. LePub was founded in Amsterdam and Milan through a dedicated partnership between Heineken and Publicis in November 2020. When LePub launched in London last year, Heineken was also named as one of its founding clients.
For its subsidiary brands, meanwhile, Heineken works with a roster of creative agencies. Incumbents in the UK include Lucky Generals (for Cruzcampo and Birra Moretti), Otherway (for Brixton Brewery, Inch’s Cider and Strongbow) and Publicis London (for Foster’s).
Dentsu and LePub declined to comment on the review when approached by Campaign. All other agency brands impacted by the review have been contacted for comment.
The Heineken spokesperson added: “This process will boost the effectiveness of our advertising investments and support sustainable growth. The end goal is to deliver, in line with Heineken’s legacy of groundbreaking marketing, legendary creativity across our brands, partnering with world-class agencies and platforms to ensure our creative work is consistent, efficient and impactful.”
Source: Campaign UK
