Heineken renews its sponsorship with Formula 1 and its strategies to counter European bans

The logos and colors of the Heineken brand made their appearance on Formula 1 circuits in 2016. Since then, the Dutch beer brand has become one of the main sponsors of the premier category of motorsport, prominently displaying its presence on the calendar’s circuits, notably at Zandvoort in the Netherlands, the group’s home country.

Starting from the Canadian Grand Prix, Martin Garrix, who has just been appointed ambassador for the group, will perform several concerts throughout the season. Heineken thus announces that they will be the title sponsor of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which will host an F1 race starting this season.

The exact duration of the contract extension between the two entities has not been disclosed, but it has already been renewed once and it is highly likely that it will be extended until 2030.

A criticized sponsor

Heineken signed its first sponsorship with Formula 1 in 2026, and the Eurocare association had strongly criticized this promotion made visible to the general public for alcohol brands, despite the strong prohibition on this matter in Europe.

Since July 2004, the European Union has issued directives to be complied with in order to promote an alcoholic beverage, particularly on television. There are no strict laws where it is prohibited, except in a few countries. The French Evin law is known to be one of the strictest on the subject, as it simply prohibits alcohol brands from engaging in any sort of promotion. This is also the case in 7 other countries in Europe. Notably, the Netherlands, Austria, and England are among the countries listed on the F1 calendar.

The legislation in Middle Eastern countries is also strict as it is forbidden to publicly consume alcohol.

Diverting attention to the alternatives

In order to avoid promoting alcohol directly where it is prohibited, Heineken uses a clever strategy. The group has indeed decided to promote, instead of its traditional beer brand, a second brand with an almost identical green logo and a slight shade of blue: its non-alcoholic beer brand.

Most consumers will then see the traditional green and red logo of alcoholic beers, but legally, there is nothing to worry about for the lawyers of the Dutch brewing group.

When the promotion of beer or alcohol is completely prohibited, another strategy is used. The promotion of the slogan “When you drive, never drink” or “Quand on conduit, on ne boit pas” in French, thus promoting user responsibility.