Corporate communication

Amstel book

To commemorate the 140th Anniversary of the Amstel brand, Heineken commissioned us to develop a commemorative publication. This publication needed to show the vast history of the company in an accessible, yet top-of-the-line market fashion.

Red cover of the Amstel anniversary book 'Amstel, het verhaal van ons bier 1870-heden' with a bottle-cap emblem
Close-up of the book spine and cover with gold lettering 'The history of de Amstel brouwerij since 1870'

To approach this we dived into the archives of the Heineken and Amstel breweries. We handpicked stories and pictures, to depict all the iconic moments and milestones achieved by the company. Showcasing the company's expansion with all the beer factories they bought, in Holland and all over the world. The size of the book was approached not as a coffee table book, but more of a size that could hold an imaginary beer bottle within it and could be held in your hands comfortably.

With high-quality printing techniques, such as the use of extra metallic inks, fold-out pages, and a linen spine, gave the book a feeling of history and tradition. To make the book accessible for the general public, it was sold in super-markets along with a crate of beer for an affordable price.

Red book spreads with a black-and-white football stand crowd, a 1969 Prachtpils can and vintage Amstel pages
Spread with vintage Amstel beer labels, an Extra Superior Pilsener Beer elephant emblem and old brewery photos

This increased the engagement of the user with the product, especially with content that was easy to read and attractive to dive into. The success of the book was such that, in less than a year it was translated into English and by the end of the third year, we were on our fourth edition, with over 25,000 copies sold. The book was also recognised as a successful corporate tool, that was presented to all new employees at their international headquarters, as a comprehensive crash course on the company history and culture. This success story shows that through a good balance of quality and sharp product profiling, we augmented a commemorative publication, into an active corporate communication tool for an ever- evolving company.

Book page headed 'Vakmanschap' with workers in white coats at brewery tanks above the red Amstel book
Open book with a vintage Amstel poster of flowers, beer glass and cheese beside a gold page titled The Brewery
Book spread 'Amstel en voetbal' with a football, an Amstel bottle cap and a man at a bar
Packed concert arena in red light with a giant glowing beer glass hanging above the stage and confetti
Two open book spreads laid out together with a long amber Amstel bottle, a round label and archive photos
Black-and-white photo of a football stadium crowd behind a fence with an Amstel sign