A device that simultaneously keeps drinks and gaming hardware cool is meant to recognize the overlooked community of PC modders.
Dive Brief:
- Heineken’s Brazil group and Publicis Groupe’s LePub Brazil have designed a functioning gaming PC that doubles as a fridge to keep beverages cold, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- Dubbed “TH3 G4M1NG FR1DG3” — a nod to online parlance known as leet speak — the hardware is part of Heineken’s “Not All Nights Out are Out” campaign targeted at gamers and was developed with LePub’s LeGarage innovation team. Heineken is aiming to draw the interest of PC modders who customize their own rigs rather than use an out-of-the-box product.
- The hangout-ready PC will be promoted through a partnership with Gaules, Brazil’s top Twitch streamer, who will host a giveaway for his 4 million followers. Heineken is also showing off the hybrid device on the revamped Twitch show “Aprovado” and during a “League of Legends” competition in Brazil this fall.
Dive Insight:
Heineken is seeking to level up its gaming strategy beyond conventional ads into the complex realm of PC hardware. PC gamers are among the most hardcore in the gaming community. Rather than buy consoles, such as Xbox or PlayStation, whose technical specifications are prefab at retail, PC gamers construct their rigs piece by piece, with often expensive component parts that require a higher degree of technical know-how to assemble.
Heineken and agency partner LePub, in conjunction with LePub’s LeGarage innovation unit, are targeting this niche after noticing that enthusiasts, or “modders,” were already building PCs with beer fridges attached. The initiative is part of a larger global campaign launched in March called “Not All Nights Out are Out,” which focuses on how an indoor hobby like gaming can still be an opportunity to socialize and drink Heineken.
“We wanted to click with a segment of gamers that few brands usually consider: PC gamers,” said Andrey Tyukavkin, executive creative director of LeGarage and the lead engineer on the effort. “And within the PC gaming community, we wanted to appreciate a culture of ‘modders’ — people who customize their builds, modify the design and architecture of the machine and socialize by sharing their specs and unique looks with each other.”
“TH3 G4M1NG FR1DG3” takes advantage of the fact that many PCs need a built-in cooling system to operate without overheating. LeGarage crafted a custom cooling system that can maintain a lower temperature and applied forced air circulation to prevent condensation that could damage the hardware. The fridge itself is intended for Heineken 0.0, a non-alcoholic option that has become an increasingly key part of the company’s beverage portfolio and has a presence at gaming events.
Heineken is seeking to raise awareness for its hybrid invention by working with a popular Twitch creator, Gaules, and promoting the device around key gaming occasions in Brazil. “TH3 G4M1NG FR1DG3” will be given to the winning team of Brazil’s largest “League of Legends” competition, which is hosted later this year and has an awards ceremony organized as the CBLoL 2023.
The novelty PC product and “Not All Nights Out are Out” platform complement Heineken’s plan to drive more growth in Brazil, one of its largest markets. The European brewer in May invested $300 million in the region to support an expansion of its premium and single-malt beer offerings.
While Heineken’s PC carries a level of sophistication — the brand in a press release shared technical specs for parts like the GPU, processor and motherboard — it’s not the first to try and crack the gaming hardware code. KFC in 2021 released a video game console called the KFConsole that came with a built-in “chicken chamber” for keeping food warm.
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