Heineken Ties VTO Benefit to FIFA World Cup Campaign

Heineken is using the FIFA World Cup 2026 to promote an existing employee benefit through a marketing campaign that ties volunteering to football viewing.

The brewer has launched Heineken Fan Volunteers to draw attention to Volunteer Time Off, which the company says is rarely used by staff. Almost half of this summer's matches take place during US work hours, creating a challenge for football fans who want to watch games whilst maintaining their professional commitments.

The programme offers employees up to three days per year of paid VTO, which sits outside regular paid time off policies. The campaign was designed to turn the benefit into a method for football fans to connect and volunteer in communities whilst watching matches together.

A company film styled as a corporate training video was created to introduce the Fan Volunteers concept as a solution to match viewing during work hours. The creative approach positions volunteering as both a practical solution for watching daytime matches and a way to contribute to local communities.

Campaign targets match viewing

According to Heineken, more than half of US desk workers admit they have lied to employers to watch a football match. Three quarters of desk workers in the US have said they find themselves checking scores or streaming matches during the day, highlighting the tension between work responsibilities and following major sporting events.

"We're making it easy for fans to utilise Volunteer Time Off, a benefit they likely already have in their favour, so they can potentially watch matches aired during working hours together, give back to their communities and connect with other fans over a Heineken," says Alison Payne, Chief Marketing Officer of Heineken USA.

Heineken launched the initiative in Miami and New York City in early May with employees using VTO while watching the UEFA Semi-Finals. Nearly 200 volunteers joined across both cities, demonstrating early appetite for the programme.

In New York City, participants packed 3,250 meals for Broadway Community's soup kitchen. In Miami they cleared 3,100 square feet of green space at Virginia Key Beach. These initial activations provided a template for the broader World Cup campaign rollout.

Nonprofit partners host activations

For the World Cup, employees will be able to find local volunteer opportunities through Heineken that align with match days. The company is working to coordinate volunteer sessions that coincide with key fixtures throughout the tournament.

Each activation will be hosted in partnership with registered nonprofit organisations. The company says this approach could ensure a community impact is made while connecting fans who share a passion for football.

The campaign was launched as part of Heineken's Fans Have More Friends platform, which connects the brand's partnerships with brands such as Formula 1 to encourage connection between fans. The platform represents Heineken's broader strategy of using sports sponsorships to create experiences that bring people together.

"Earlier this year Heineken launched our Fans Have More Friends global campaign highlighting how a shared passion for sports or music can bring strangers together as friends," Alison says.

"Marrying this global campaign with this summer's highly anticipated soccer season, we set out to create more opportunities for shared fandom with the introduction of Heineken Fan Volunteers."