Heineken's cheeky reply to an AI wearable backlash - and the marketing playbook behind it
New York City became a case study in opportunistic creativity. Friend, the AI companion worn around the neck, dropped over $1 million on an OOH blitz: 11,000 subway car cards, 1,000 platform posters, and 130 urban panels on September 25. Within days, the ads were covered with graffiti like "surveillance tool" and "AI is not your friend."
Two weeks later, Heineken stepped in with a wink. The beer brand swapped Friend's pendant for a bottle opener and landed the line: "The best way to make a friend is over a beer." It's classic cultural judo - reframe the conversation, keep it light, and make the brand feel human.
Why it worked
Speed and tone. Heineken moved fast for a large organization and still stayed on-brand: playful, social, and offline-first. The team called it "tongue-in-cheek" and doubled down on the simple idea that "a refreshing social life matters more than we realize."
It also tapped a live tension. People are curious about AI and uneasy about it at the same time. Heineken didn't preach; it cracked a joke that aligned with its product truth - people connect over beer, not notifications.
The quote that anchored the narrative
"In a culture defined by constant scrolling, it's both timely and intentionally ironic, because we know the best social experiences happen offline." That line gave the creative its thesis and made the billboard shareable. Social proof followed, with marketers calling the move "next level trolling" and praising the "incredible speed."
Meanwhile, the startup leaned in
Friend's founder, 22-year-old Avi Schiffmann, treated the backlash like free PR. He called it "entertaining," even attending an anti-Friend protest. On the Heineken ad, he said he had nothing to do with it - then bought a rack of Heineken to celebrate the moment.
Heineken's stance on AI (and why it matters)
The brand isn't anti-tech. Internally, AI helps with logistics, sales efficiency, and creative testing, plus more personalized marketing. But there's a line: AI is a tool to give teams more time for "creativity, insight, and connection."
That framing protects the brand's core: human moments. "Technology should make our lives easier, not replace the human moments that make them meaningful." For marketers, it's a clean positioning in a noisy debate.
7 marketing plays to steal from this moment
- Hijack momentum ethically: Track cultural spikes and adjacent campaigns you can riff on without being mean-spirited. Humor beats hostility.
- Move at "hours and days," not "weeks and months": Pre-align legal, brand, and media so you can publish fast with guardrails.
- Use OOH as a social engine: Billboards become content when they comment on culture. Design for photos first, placements second.
- Anchor with a product truth: The bottle opener visual wasn't random - it mirrored Friend's pendant shape and tied back to the product experience.
- Let the audience write the punchline: The city's graffiti set up the joke. Heineken delivered the release.
- Keep measurement scrappy: If you can't share impressions, share deltas - "engagement above average for topical activities" still signals ROI.
- State your AI philosophy clearly: Use AI where it makes you smarter; plant a flag that human connection is the point.
If you're planning a reactive OOH moment, use this checklist
- Timing: Can we produce and place within 72 hours without breaking brand voice?
- Clarity: Can someone get the joke in 1.5 seconds driving by?
- Visual echo: Is there a shape or symbol we can mirror to make the reference obvious?
- Safety: Are we poking fun at the idea, not the individual audience?
- Amplification: Do we have creators and PR ready to push the asset the minute it goes live?
What this signals for brand strategy
OOH is no longer just reach; it's a trigger for social conversation. The best billboard today is a screenshot with a spine. Pair that with a POV on tech that feels human and you'll earn attention without preaching.
And for AI-focused brands, expect scrutiny. Clarity beats cleverness when trust is fragile. If your product touches identity or privacy, pressure-test the message before you flood a city with it.
Want to go deeper on AI skills for marketers?
If you're building a smarter stack without losing the human touch, this resource can help: AI Certification for Marketing Specialists.
Related concepts
Interested in how brands legally ride cultural waves? Here's a good primer on the tactic often called ambush marketing: Ambush marketing.
The bottom line
Friend bought attention. New Yorkers added context. Heineken delivered a punchline that reinforced its core promise. That's the play: watch what people are already saying, respond with a human truth, and make the creative easy to share.
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