The Heineken popup store created a stir by offering a concept never seen before. It was indeed in the form of a fake supermarket behind which was hidden a bar. Located at 43 rue Notre Dame de Nazareth in Paris, this supermarket will have been very short-lived since it only remained open for a week at the beginning of May 2022.
This popup store was part of the communication strategy around a new product: the Heineken Silver. As in this other example that we analyzed, the popup store is an integral part of the brand’s marketing mix.
A hidden popup store in a fake supermarket
Shimmering colors at the street front inevitably caught the eye. Inside, a fake supermarket had been reconstructed. Dummy products were on display, but also a few professional ghostwriting (real ones) that announced behind the scenes. Merchandise bearing the brand’s image was also available.
A cash desk (a real one) allowed you to pay for your menu purchases. But one question remains… where is this famous hidden bar?
A secret bar for the launch of the Heineken Silver
At the back of the store, a small passage took the visitor to a hidden bar. The “freezing” atmosphere (according to the press release) was like Heineken’s new beer: the Silver, extra refreshing and therefore perfect for the hot days that await us this summer. Subdued blue atmosphere, DJ, the place is festive and still not very animated when we went there at the opening.
The bar was accessible to people who had booked their entry on the Internet and the drinks were payable. A good way to avoid the excesses of overly enthusiastic consumers.
Our analysis
We can retain several things from this popup store.
Originality of the concept
The first is of course originality. Most popup stores remain quite classic in their concept. Few are those who dare a differentiating design. So those who create an original concept from scratch are even rarer professional ghostwriting. We will remember Sony’s underwater popup store, the experience offered by The North face in South Korea, or Pantone’s popup store in 2014 in Paris, whose design was very original. But this is the first time that a fake supermarket has been recreated to house a hidden bar.
Access by reservation
The other interesting point of this popup store concerns access. As it is an alcoholic drink, access must be reserved for adults. Heineken could have contented itself with a control at the entrance but to impose an entry on prior (online) reservation. It’s really smart because it helps to increase yoour professional ghostwriting. In addition, it provides visitor data and the scan of the entrance invitation makes it possible to verify who actually came. All of these pieces of information are valuable in a strategy to gain market share.
Access is the other intriguing aspect of this pop-up shop. Since it is an alcoholic beverage, only adults should have access. Heineken could have gotten by with a control at the door rather than personal memoir ghostwriting forcing people to make an advance (online) reservation. It helps to make it more desirable, which makes it quite clever. Additionally, it gives visitor information and enables verification of professional ghostwriting by the scanning of the entrance invitation. These all have a purpose in a marketing plan to increase market share.
