Heineken Beverages South Africa ‘Corks – Ceiling, Haircut, Puzzle’

Heineken Beverages South Africa ‘Corks – Ceiling’

Heineken Beverages South Africa ‘Corks – Haircut’

Heineken Beverages South Africa ‘Corks – Puzzle’

CANNES LIONS PREDICTIONS
Judges Pick

IDIDTHAT JUDGE
Andrea Quaye

AWARDED
20 May 2026

JUDGES COMMENT
“It brings an unexpected message and idea to the exclusive sparkling wine and champagne category, where most advertising tends to rely on glamour shots of the bottle itself. The idea of democratising celebration is something many brands aspire to, but this execution solves it in a beautifully restrained and magnetic way, using a mirror rather than overexplaining the point. The craft shows real confidence in its restraint.”

– Andrea Quaye, Marketing Director of Heineken Beverages

View I DID THAT Cannes Predictions 2026 showcase

In South Africa, sparkling wine is usually saved for big occasions like weddings, graduations, anniversaries and formal celebrations. J.C. Le Roux wanted to challenge this behaviour and make the brand relevant to a younger audience who are choosing to celebrate life in smaller, more personal ways. The strategic platform Be Extra More Often was thus born.

The campaign, ‘Make a Thing of It’, gives people permission to celebrate everyday wins. Cutting a fringe. Finishing a puzzle. Painting a statement wall. Hitting a work target. These are not traditional moments you’d pop open bubbles for, but they are real moments that matter to the people living them.

The poster campaign makes the cork the hero. Usually, a cork is noticed for a second and then thrown away. In this work, it becomes the symbol of celebration. Each poster shows a cork placed inside an ordinary moment, turning that moment into something worth marking.

This idea is highly relevant to J.C. Le Roux. As an accessible, well-loved South African sparkling wine brand, J.C. Le Roux is uniquely placed to own everyday celebration. More premium sparkling wine brands are often tied to luxury and formality, but J.C. Le Roux can credibly say: you do not need a big reason to open bubbles.

The indoor poster format was important to the campaign. These posters were designed to be seen in everyday environments, where people are already moving through small moments in their own lives. The bold close-up visuals made the work easy to understand quickly, even in passing.

Importantly, the images were shot practically, in-camera, with no AI or digital tricks. This gives the posters an authentic, crafted quality. The result is a simple but distinctive poster campaign that uses the medium well: one clear image, one memorable message, and one fresh role for J.C. Le Roux as the sparkling wine for everyday celebration.

Brand: Heineken Beverages South Africa
Product: JC Le Roux Sparkling Wine

Agency: TBWA Hunt Lascaris Johannesburg
Chief Creative Officer: Carl Willoughby
Executive Creative Director: George Low
Creative Director: Juliet Honey, Lauren Meyer
Copywriter: Lauren Meyer
Art Director: Juliet Honey
Business Lead: Debbie Laing
Business Unit Director: Ayanda Dlamini
Agency Producer: Kim Hunt
Project Manager: Leanne Ferris-Woods
Community Manager: Patricia Makhooe
Executive Strategy Director: Kendal Zoghby
Strategy Director: Vilash Gajjar

Production Company: (Not an IDIDTHAT member)
Executive Producer: Caroline Symmonds
Director of Photography: Des Ellis
Retoucher: Des Ellis
Stylist: Kate Hawkins

Styling Agency: (Not an IDIDTHAT member)

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