Fan Volunteers

Heineken® Taps Into Rarely Used Work Benefits Policy to Unite U.S. Soccer Fans This Summer

With almost half of this summer’s soccer matches airing during U.S. work hours, Heineken utilizes Volunteer Time Off (VTO) to turn a major fan dilemma into shared moments of community, connection and celebration.

As the Official Beer of Soccer®, Heineken® believes bringing people together over a shared fandom is one of the most powerful ways to spark connections and meet new friends. Today, the brand is introducing Heineken Fan Volunteers, a first of its kind initiative that spotlights a benefit many employees already have and rarely use — Volunteer Time Off (VTO) — and turns it into a new way for fans to connect, give back to their communities, and possibly watch soccer together.

With the summer of soccer upon us and almost half of matches airing during U.S. work hours, many American soccer fans admit to streaming matches solo from their desks or lying to employers to get their soccer fix. According to a Heineken consumer survey:

• Half (52%) of U.S. desk workers admit they have lied to their employer in order to watch a soccer/international football match.
• Additionally, when a soccer/international football match they care about airs during the middle of their workday, 3/4 of U.S. desk workers find themselves constantly or multiple times throughout "secretly" checking scores or streaming the match while at their desks.

With Heineken Fan Volunteers, the brand is removing these barriers by helping fans turn their paid VTO into a shared experience — volunteering with local nonprofits alongside fellow supporters and coming together to possibly watch a match.

Last week, Heineken kicked off this initiative in Miami and New York City as fans used their VTO while watching the UEFA Semi-Finals, creating impact in local communities while new fan friendships were formed. Onsite, nearly 200 Fan Volunteers joined across both cities: in New York City, they packed 3,250 meals for Broadway Community’s soup kitchen and food pantry providing nourishing food to an estimated 2,000+ New Yorkers in need, and in Miami, they cleared 3,100 square feet of green space at Virginia Key Beach, creating meaningful impact for one of South Florida's most beloved and historic coastal communities.

Now, Heineken is inviting consumers nationwide to join in throughout the summer. Fans can visit HeinekenFanVolunteers.com to find local volunteer opportunities that align with match days and take advantage of the unique chance to give back, meet other fans, and possibly watch their favorite teams together. Each activation is hosted in partnership with registered nonprofit organizations, ensuring meaningful community impact alongside authentic fan experiences.

Heineken will then pick up the tab for a round of beers for each Fan Volunteer to share with their newfound friends (more details to follow on HeinekenFanVolunteers.com). Certain exclusions apply. Offer not open to residents of all states.

“Earlier this year Heineken launched our Fans Have More Friends global campaign highlighting how a shared passion for sports or music can bring strangers together as friends,” said Alison Payne, CMO of HEINEKEN USA. “Marrying this global campaign with this summer’s highly anticipated soccer season, we set out to create more opportunities for shared fandom with the introduction of Heineken Fan Volunteers. We’re making it easy for fans to utilize Volunteer Time Off, a benefit they likely already have in their favor, so they can potentially watch matches aired during working hours together, give back to their communities and connect with other fans over a Heineken.”

The initiative launches with a new film styled as a tongue-in-cheek corporate training video that introduces Heineken Fan Volunteers as the solution to midday match viewing. Heineken Fan Volunteers is the latest activation in Heineken’s ongoing Fans Have More Friends platform reinforcing the idea that fandom can be a powerful driver of human connection.

“The major soccer matches this year land right in the middle of the workday, so we leaned into it. We realized fans would be watching anyway -- just a bit more discreetly -- so Heineken built a simple workaround that lets people use an existing benefit to watch soccer, make new friends, and make the world a better place at the same time,” said Jim Curtis, Chief Creative Officer, LePub NY. “It’s a win for the fans, a win for the communities -- the kind of simple, useful idea that spreads naturally because people actually want to be part of it. And it builds on something Heineken has long stood for: making real-life connection easier and more rewarding.”

For Heineken, showing up for soccer fans is nothing new. The Heineken Fan Volunteers platform is the newest addition to Heineken’s longstanding support of the global soccer community. Through sustained partnerships across global and local stages, including MLS, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women’s Champions League, Heineken has spent years building an authentic presence — one that has made it a natural part of how fans experience the sport.

As the Official Beer of Soccer, Heineken is also:
• Rolling out special limited edition packaging across 12-packs and 24-packs that prominently features the Official Beer of Soccer moniker and a soccer pitch design.
o This is inclusive of a limited-edition Heineken Original aluminum bottle, a 11.2 oz premium offering featuring both the UEFA Champions League logo and our Official Beer of Soccer trademark, distributed in the on-premise.
• Blanketing retail floor spaces with high-impact displays, including in-store promotions of "Soccer Goal" mass displays, full stadium footprint floor decals, and out-of-category case stackers.
• Equipping local bars with extensive promotional kits to host their own "watch parties".
• Engaging global soccer legend Virgil van Dijk to create dynamic social content as an ambassador.
To learn more or sign up to become a Heineken Fan Volunteer, visit HeinekenFanVolunteers.com