Daniel Craig likens Bond film delay to waiting for a cold Heineken in new ad

Jumping on the James Bond hype, Heineken's latest ad compares the wait for the first sip of a cold Heineken beer to the long-awaited release of No Time to Die, which finally hits cinemas on 30 September—17 months later than originally planned.

Set in a glitzy bar, the film, created by Publicis Italy, sees Bond star Daniel Craig pouring his beer patiently. In the background, Portishead’s 'Glory Box' plays seductively, its hypnotic violin infusing with the fizz of the cool Heineken that he pours. Staring at the glass, mesmerized, Craig takes a sip, then looks to the screen and muses: “Well worth the wait”.

The campaign was created by copywriter Olga Alonso and art director Alexia Vindret, and directed by Sam Gold through Smuggler. 

Beyond the clever ode to Bond, there is basis to Heineken’s claim that its beer is worth the wait. The beer brand carried out a real-world social experiment where it tested 115 people. Each were provided with a cold Heineken or the brand's non-alcoholic option, following a wait of between zero and 30 minutes. The study found that those who waited 20 minutes had the highest levels of satisfaction.

“Heineken has been a proud partner of James Bond films since 1997,” explains Bram Westenbrink, global head of the Heineken brand, alluding to its sponsorship of that year's Tomorrow Never Dies.

“So, like all Bond fans, we also can’t wait for No Time To Die to hit cinemas. That said, we believe some things really are worth waiting for. And now we can prove it. Whether it’s an ice-cold Heineken or an action-packed blockbuster—the best things truly do come to those who wait.”

Last year, ahead of No Time to Die’s original release date, Heineken revealed the real secrets to becoming Bond. Encouraging shoppers to connect with their inner secret agent, the stunt asked Heineken fans to text 007 to receive a disappearing invisible ink message which would reveal prizes.