London 2012: Heineken and Wetherspoon's in Olympics push

Heineken is hoping to “bring the Olympics to life” in pubs via a tie-in with JD Wetherspoon (JDW) and a campaign to Paint London Green.

The beer is the Official Lager of the London 2012 Olympics and Heineken has also just signed a deal to supply beer and cider to BT London Live, a series of free and ticketed events in Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square, running during the Olympics and Paralympics.

The JDW promotion will give customers the chance to win a pair of tickets to the official Team GB celebration in September in a daily text-to-win draw. It will run in 850 Wetherspoon and Lloyds No.1 sites.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Heineken on this exclusive promotion,” said Jonathan Yates, senior marketing manager at JDW. “Our customers will welcome the opportunity to win tickets to this fantastic event.”

The Paint London Green campaign will run in 150 pubs situated near, or en route to, Olympic venues, which will become “beacon” outlets from this month. The pubs, made up of tenanted, managed, national and independent venues, will receive Heineken-branded London 2012 PoS and glassware.

“This trade partnership will create a showcase for some of our finest pubs at a time when the eyes of the world are fixed on London,” said Heineken UK MD Lawson Mountstevens.