Heineken’s LaundroMatch: Celebrating Korea’s Hardcore Football Fans

Supported by global creative agency Le Pub – which also created Heineken’s augmented reality Irish “pub museums” (see The Brief ) and worked on its Boring Phone partnership with American streetwear brand Bodega (see Out of the Box: Top Tactics for Selling Tech) – the LaundroMatch campaign screened games from the UEFA Champions League (Heineken is a long-time sponsor), which culminated in a Real Madrid win against Borussia Dortmund on June 1.

LaundroMatch was launched with a two-day event, held at the Electrolux Laundry Park in Seoul – WashEnjoy’s flagship, which includes an events stage and bar area for hosting cultural events. Heineken transformed the venue into a pseudo-sports-stadium, complete with faux grass and beer tasting for the 500+ attendees.

Combining real-world attendance and digital access, subsequent visitors to WashEnjoy laundromats across South Korea could scan the campaign’s QR codes on washing machines and dryers for a free 30-day subscription to the country’s largest sports network (and only broadcaster of the Champions League in the region) SpoTV – usually priced at $108 a month. They could then choose to stay at the laundrette to watch the match with friends. 

LaundroMatch continued the ethos of Heineken’s Cheers to the Real Hardcore Fans campaign, aiming to subvert football fandom stereotypes (often associated with hooliganism) and recognise the diversity of hardcore fans worldwide. The latter launched in February 2024 with a comedic ad inspired by real-life stories spotlighting the dedication of international football fans, from naming pets after players to nuns praying for their favourite team.