Brief

Heineken Beverages wins Brand of the Year at 2026 Loeries

The award recognises Heineken Beverages' creative work across several brands, including Heineken, Windhoek, and JC Le Roux & Bernini.

By Felo News Desk · Published Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:26:24 GMT

Heineken Beverages was named Brand of the Year at the 2026 Loeries, the South African advertising festival, according to Bizcommunity. The accolade reflects a body of work that spanned live events, integrated campaigns, branded content and communications across the company’s portfolio.

What happened

The Grand Prix – Brand of the Year was awarded on 14 October 2026. The decision was based on campaigns for Heineken®, Windhoek beer, JC Le Roux & Bernini and other brands. Notable entries included the Heineken® "Bar de Change" activation, the Windhoek "The Real Hand Model" campaign, and the Whispering Commentator audio experience.

What the reports add

Bizcommunity notes that the "Bar de Change" campaign, created by LePub Johannesburg, also secured a Grand Prix in the Live Events category, a Gold award in Ambient Out of Home and a Silver in PR & Media Communication. The activation let South African travellers pre‑purchase beer at local prices and redeem digital vouchers abroad, aiming to remove currency‑conversion anxiety.

Alexander Drake, head of the Heineken® brand, is quoted as saying the campaign demonstrates how a strong consumer insight can become a memorable brand experience. The Windhoek "Real Hand Model" effort, produced by TBWA\Hunt Lascaris, earned five awards across PR, integrated campaign, comedic impact, creative strategy and film categories.

What was said

Andrea Quaye, marketing director of Heineken Beverages, told Bizcommunity, "Being named Brand of the Year is a tremendous recognition of the people and partnerships behind the work. What is especially meaningful is that these campaigns were acknowledged not only for execution, but across experience, strategy, humour, integration and communication."

Alexander Drake added, "Bar de Change was an innovative activation allowing South African travellers to pre‑purchase beer at local prices and redeem them via digital vouchers at participating international partner bars. The recognition shows how a strong consumer insight, executed creatively, can transform a campaign into a memorable brand experience."

How it came about

The Loeries awards have been a focal point for South Africa’s creative sector, with recent coverage of Loeries Chair Carl Willoughby’s remarks on industry challenges (see Felo’s report) and Vaughan Croeser’s Marketer of the Year win (see Felo’s report). Heineken Beverages’ success builds on that broader narrative of South African brands leveraging insight‑driven creativity to win international recognition.

Key facts

Heineken Beverages was named Brand of the Year at the 2026 Loeries. (bizcommunity.com)
The "Bar de Change" campaign won Grand Prix in Live Events, Gold in Ambient Out of Home and Silver in PR & Media Communication. (bizcommunity.com)
The Windhoek "Real Hand Model" campaign received five awards across multiple categories. (bizcommunity.com)
Andrea Quaye is marketing director of Heineken Beverages. (bizcommunity.com)
Alexander Drake heads the Heineken® brand. (bizcommunity.com)