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Bronze Award
Real Friend
Heineken
United States
2026
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Entrant Company
LePub NY
Entry Type
Product/Service
Program
Clio Awards 2026
Medium Type
Professional
Medium
Culture & Influence
Category
Cultural Resonance
When Friend.com, an AI-powered “friendship” necklace, took over New York City, promising connection through technology, Heineken responded with something radically simple: a reminder that real friendships are made in real life. By transforming the necklace into a bottle opener and placing a single message in Times Square - “The best way to make a friend is over a beer” - the brand turned a cultural controversy into a human moment.
Credits
Advertising Agency
LePub NY
New York
Advertiser / Brand
Heineken
White Plains
Advertising Agency
LePub NY
New York
Holding Company
Publicis Groupe
New York
Holding Company
Publicis Groupe
New York
Media Agency
Dentsu
New York
Chief Creative Officer
Jim Curtis
Le Pub
Chief Marketing Officer
Alison Payne
Heineken
Chief Marketing Officer
Alison Payne
Heineken
Vice President
Guilherme De Marchi Retz
Heineken
President
Lea Mastroberti
LePub NY
Chief Creative Officer
Jim Curtis
LePub NY
Senior Manager, Media
Zachary Freeman
Heineken
Group Account Director
Tori Pierce
LePub NY
Executive Producer
Courtney Trent
LePub NY
Creative Director
Linus Oura
LePub NY
Creative Director
Guilherme Pinheiro
LePub NY
Art Director
Nicolo Pavin
LePub NY
Copywriter
Mattia Pavin
LePub NY
Photographer
Jorge Puente
LePub NY
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