How Heineken Turned Cold Weather Into a Real-Time DOOH Game

When the Cold Becomes the Trigger

Winter often slows social plans. When temperatures drop, people head home instead of heading out. Heineken saw an opportunity inside that behavior. Instead of simply advertising beer, the brand built a system that activates only when winter temperatures hit their lowest.

“You’re Getting Warm” is a temperature-triggered digital out-of-home campaign that appears in real time during extreme cold spells. The media doesn’t just respond to weather — it uses it as the creative hook.

From Frosted Screens to Glowing Pubs

Inspired by misted pub windows, each execution begins with a frosted digital screen. Slowly, the condensation clears to reveal the warm glow of a lively Heineken pub inside: friends laughing, glasses clinking, and a perfectly poured beer emerging through the haze.

The visual metaphor is simple and effective. Outside: cold, grey, winter streets. Inside: warmth, connection, light.

In the UK, the idea goes further. Screens are geo-linked to partner pubs and display real-time distance messages such as “You’re getting warmer” followed by the number of metres remaining. Multiple placements create a physical trail through the city. As pedestrians approach the destination, the prompts become more encouraging. The final screen sits just outside the pub entrance, offering one last nudge to step inside.

Local Nuance, Smart Media

The campaign adapts by market. In the Netherlands, bold standalone headlines deliver a more direct invitation. In Canada, the brand leverages programmatic transit shelters to reach commuters with dynamic weather-triggered messaging.

Live in cities including London, Manchester, Amsterdam, and Toronto, the two-week activation turns proximity into participation. It transforms ordinary OOH placements into interactive navigation tools.

Rather than interrupting, the campaign guides. Rather than broadcasting, it responds.

Turning Data Into Experience

Francesco Grandi, Chief Creative Officer at LePub UK, described the concept as a real-time game of “Hot or Cold,” using temperature-triggered OOH spaces to direct people toward the nearest pub. The insight is playful but strategic: when it’s freezing outside, social warmth becomes more appealing.

From an OOH perspective, the strength lies in integration. Weather data, geo-location, and creative storytelling work together to create a seamless journey from street to bar stool.

In a season where people crave warmth, Heineken proves that the smartest media doesn’t just talk — it reacts. And sometimes, the best way to stay warm is with a cold beer among friends.