MAX VERSTAPPEN KICKS OFF PLAYER 0.0 COMPETITION & PROMOTES RESPONSIBLE DRINKING WITH HEINEKEN®
Max Verstappen kicked off the online game competition Player 0.0 this afternoon at Circuit Zandvoort. Together with beer brewer HEINEKEN, the world champion is drawing attention to the need for no alcohol in traffic. 'The best driver doesn't drink unless it's 0.0', according to Verstappen. Player 0.0 is part of the When You Drive Never Drink campaign that Heineken® is using worldwide around F1 races. The Player 0.0 competition is a playful, but at the same time serious appeal to drive safely. This is still necessary; recent research* shows that more than half of Dutch people have experienced a family member or friend getting behind the wheel or jumping on their bike after drinking more than two glasses of alcohol. At the same time, we are also making good progress, because more than a third of Dutch people consciously take a 0.0 to participate in traffic responsibly. "We cannot emphasise often enough that zero is the norm in traffic", says Evert-Jan Hulshof, director of Veilig Verkeer Nederland. "There is still a world to be won in this respect, and every year there are more young adult road users. It helps enormously that Heineken® is bringing this important message across the stage with this creative approach in collaboration with role model Max Verstappen.”
The research also shows that many Dutch people still find it difficult to turn down a drink in social situations, such as at a party, or feel they have to defend themselves. This is particularly the case among people in their twenties and thirties. The good news is that 88% indicate that they do not suffer from social pressure to drink alcohol if they still have to participate in traffic.
Maarten Schuurman, General Manager HEINEKEN Netherlands: “Fortunately, things are moving in the right direction and this figure shows that When You Drive Never Drink is increasingly being adhered to. At the same time, there is still room for improvement, because there are still people who get behind the wheel after having had a drink. For us, zero is the norm: when you get behind the wheel, you don't drink beer, unless it's a 0.0. With our Player 0.0 game and campaign, we want to contribute to raising awareness and bring this to life in an interactive way with the Player 0.0 competition. Together with Max, we emphasise how important it is to make the right choice."
Although there is social pressure around drinking alcohol, the vast majority of people (76%) say that they do not find it less fun if they do not drink alcohol in social situations. The group of Dutch people who choose 0.0 beer or another alternative is therefore increasing. The wide availability of 0.0 makes it easier for many Dutch people (85%) to be the 'designated driver' and choose non-alcoholic beer if they still have to participate in traffic. More than a third of Dutch people have started drinking more non-alcoholic beer in the past five years; this applies in particular to young people (45%) and millennials (48%). When asked why they drink 0.0 beer, 40% of Dutch people indicate that this is because they like it, 35% see responsible participation in traffic as an important motivation for drinking 0.0. Among millennials this is even 46%.
On a large screen in the fan zone of the Zandvoort circuit, Max Verstappen set the first score in the Player 0.0 game. He then challenged former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde, sim racer Maxime Bijmans, Radio 538 DJ Jordi Warners and influencer Pieter Valley to improve his time. Earlier in the afternoon, Max spoke during a talk show hosted by Hélène Hendriks about his role as ambassador of Heineken 0.0 and the importance of responsible alcohol consumption in traffic.
