Heineken in the Air New Zealand Koru Lounge
Perfect Pour Pop-Up
With New Zealand’s biggest sporting celebration fast approaching, DB Breweries came to Designworks seeking to create a unique experience for its Heineken brand within Air New Zealand’s Koru Lounge at the Auckland Domestic Airport.
DB has enjoyed a long and positive relationship with Air New Zealand and was looking for ways in which it could elevate the consumer experience further. The brewer also wanted to create a bar that could be easily transported to other locations as and when required.
The question asked of Designworks: How do you create a compelling Heineken Perfect Pour moment that could be moved around New Zealand for a range of events? Designworks' answer was the Heineken ‘Perfect Pour' pop-up bar which they created in collaboration with architect Chris Stevens from Ctrl SPACE in Auckland.
The end result is a custom-made, portable bar shaped like a Heineken glass. Key features include a raised wing-tip with laser-cut branding that is clearly visible from a distance with an illuminated spine in Heineken’s iconic green. Also built into the bar are an eye-level screen that illustrates the five steps needed to create the Heineken Perfect Pour.
Shannon Thorpe from DB Breweries comments the bar has a real ‘wow’ factor that engages consumers and draws them in for a closer look. “Everyone loves pouring their own perfect Heineken and this new bar allows them to do that in a truly special environment. It’s operating daily from 3-7pm in Air New Zealand’s Koru Lounge and manned by a Heineken staff member who is on hand to ensure lounge members get to enjoy a perfect Heineken every time.”
Designworks’ Group Head of Design, Jef Wong, explains the design’s inspiration came from the iconic Heineken glass itself, which when inverted looks like a table-top. “The glass-shaped counter-top serves a dual purpose,” he explains. “It reinforces the notion of Heineken as an international connector who provides a social hub for visitors to walk around while interacting with one another.
"The subtle allusion of the glass reinforces the brand’s innovative approach to merchandise and graphics. The choice of materials and colours all convey the elegance and sophistication of the Heineken brand at an international level whilst the slick, hidden functionality (the concealed refrigeration and pouring mechanics) reflect the brand’s international look and feel.”
Reactions to the bar so far have been extremely positive. “We are thrilled with the look and feel of the Heineken Perfect Pour bar, says Thorpe. “It accurately reflects Heineken’s core values of delivering on innovation and premiumness. We’re looking forward to sharing it with other consumers later this year and are grateful for the input that Designworks and Ctrl SPACE have provided.”
