In order for our restoration plans for the Miami Marine Stadium to be successful, we constructed an idea that harnessed the power of Miami’s people and their steadfast admiration for the historic venue. The “Save Your Seat” crowd funded campaign, exclusively on Indiegogo.com, gave people a chance to donate to the stadium, and earn a piece of the structure itself in return. At the $500 donation level, they would score an original stadium seat. That way, its legacy could forever be cemented in the homes of Miamians and others alike. We set a primary goal of raising 100K, which we felt would be enough to kickstart the restoration process. The “Save Your Seat” campaign was made to put the people, the stadium, and Miami first above the brand, and that’s where we felt we’d find most success.

To get Miamians to donate to the Miami Marine Stadium on Indiegogo.com and achieve our 100K fundraising goal, we gained the trust of the people by sharing with them our vision. With an on-premise, virtual reality experience, consumers could see what see what a restored, reopened, and reanimated stadium would be like before their very eyes. Then we rewarded their donation efforts, with perks like stadium graffiti art prints, Schoolboy Q Concert tickets and the original seats themselves. A bombardment of in-store displays and also pushed consumers online and kept the program top of mind during every trip to the store. We increased our digital and social presence across multiple channels, leading to organic discussion and more financial support. The greater Miami, Florida area was buzzing with excitement all summer about “Save Your Seat” as we continued to push the importance of restoring the Miami Marine Stadium.

“Save your Seat” was a resounding success for both the Miami Marine Stadium and the Heineken brand by summer’s end. The campaign helped showcase Heineken as a brand dedicated to helping make great cities greater, specifically, Miami. Organically, we earned 1.7MM social, 36.6MM press, and over 100MM PR related impressions. Brand health in the Miami area in the summer months was shining, driving 68% SOV, plus leading to major increases in key metrics including awareness, premium beer, usage, and authentic beer. We drove purchase up (7.3%) utilizing close to 400 displays in large and small format retailers including Publix, Winn Dixie, and 7-Eleven. Most importantly, by the time our campaign was complete, we surpassed our 100K-donation goal for the stadium. But just when we thought we were done, the stadium was awarded a 45MM grant by the city of Miami. Restoration dream, met ultimate restoration reality.