We live in an increasingly fragmented society where isolation is common, and communities continue to splinter. For brands — especially those built around fostering genuine human connection — this presents a challenge.
At ADFEST 2026, the session “How Creativity Can Spark Real-World Connections” addressed this head-on. Led by Stephan Schwarz, Executive Creative Director at LePub Singapore, and SJ Heng, Senior Director, Commerce, at Heineken Asia-Pacific, the session explored groundbreaking initiatives that demonstrate how this approach thrives in diverse markets.
Choosing courage over uniformity
SJ and Stephan discussed how global brands achieve their greatest impact not through rigid uniformity, but by identifying authentic cultural tensions and having the courage to execute solutions that might seem “unwise” or risky to a global brand. Focusing on Heineken, they noted that strategic consistency — paired with flexibility in execution — enables brands to tackle real-world challenges like social isolation.
From selling products to solving tensions
Beer is best enjoyed with a companion, and SJ sees it as a tool for meeting the fundamental human need for connection. Instead of relying on traditional advertising, the goal is to identify specific social tensions, such as loneliness or the inability to get together, and build platforms that actively resolve them.
Quoting Freddy Heineken, SJ said, “I don’t sell beer, I sell good times. And that is still today in the purpose of our organization. We brew the joy of true togetherness.”
Local relevance as the key to authenticity
SJ also highlighted the balance between maintaining a global brand’s DNA and allowing local offices the freedom to adapt to cultural nuances. In a case study for a Heineken campaign titled “Rooftop Revival,” the brand utilized forgotten urban spaces in South Korea and transformed them into social hubs for locals to connect.
The brand’s signature color was already present, as many rooftops in Korean neighborhoods are painted green to insulate them from heat. Stephan noted that rooftops are also frequently romanticized in K-Dramas as places where meaningful moments happen. To provide subtle branding, they simply added red star umbrellas to the center of these green spaces.
The heart of the campaign was the pyeongsang, a traditional Korean low, flat wooden platform used as an outdoor living space for socializing. The brand gave away 1,000 bluetooth speakers and iceboxes to encourage locals to reclaim these spaces.
“It’s very branded, and at the same time, I hope at least it feels very local. It feels very true. This is something that we’re really trying to do here for Heineken: to make it work,” Stephan explained.
While it is easy to pitch digital ad spend to a client, SJ and Stephan insist that the real value lies in owning a physical space within a neighborhood. By doing so, a global brand proves it is genuinely serving the community and helping people break down the barriers to connection.
By shifting the focus from temporary campaigns to enduring platforms for socialization, Heineken proved that a brand’s power is strongest when it stops acting like a stranger and starts acting like a neighbor. When global giants lean into local truths, they don’t just sell a product — they help repair the social fabric, one shared experience at a time.
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of ADFEST 2026.
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