Rewind to 2nd June, 1949 when the first bottle of beer rolled out of the bottling line of the Nigerian Breweries Lagos brewery in Iganmu. It was a bottle of Star Lager Beer, marking the history of beer in Nigeria, a reason the brand is fondly called ‘the beer that birthed all beers”. Since then, Nigerian Breweries Plc has come a long way, shining like a star as the home of great brands.
Regarded as Nigeria’s foremost brewing company, with products formulated and brewed under the highest quality standards and procedures, the company boasts a rich portfolio of high-quality lager (Star, Heineken, Gulder, Goldberg, Desperadoes, Life,etc), non-alcoholic beverages (Maltina, Amstel Malta, Fayrouz, Zagg, Climax Energy Drinketc), stouts (Legend), and recently, wines and spirit, with its acquisition of Distell Nigeria, expanding the quest to satisfy the diverse needs of its consumers by creating a suitable beverage that meets their tastes and occasions.
Refreshing Lives
Beyond the availability of premium brands that have delivered satisfying, refreshing and crisp taste for the consumers’ enjoyment is a company that has dictated the taste and entertainment lifestyle of Nigerians at home and in the diaspora through its passion to win with Nigeria.
From building signature brands that have become status symbols in social settings, Nigerian Breweries continue to thrive on quality, ensuring a brand positioning that solidifies it as the pacesetter in the Nigerian beverage industry. With an understanding that creating products that get people’s appeal is not enough, the company personalised each brand, blending to social settings, tapping into people’s desires, thus revealing the dynamism, and the result- a strong embrace that continues to brew a culture of brand loyalty.
Enhancing Lifestyles
Looking back in time, the Maltina Dancehall, in the spirit of ‘sharing happiness’ brought so much joy to Nigerian homes with everyone glued to the screen to watch arguably the biggest ever dance show to grace Nigerian screens. It pushed the themes of love and family bond, making Nigerians see Maltina as the perfect drink to bring people together. The programme was so accepted that till date, Nigerians still long for a come-back because of the cherished family moments, the competitive spirit and the creation of new dance styles.
In its bid to uplift the Nigerian entertainment scene, the company launched the landmark Star Quest, a music talent show platform aimed at discovering and showcasing Nigeran talents. It recorded enviable success with the discovery of some present-day entertainment heavyweights like Asa, Kcee, Diamondz, Jukebox Band, The Pulse, etc. Its cousin, Star Trek, an annual music tour/ concert to reinforce brand experience while promoting and showcasing Nigerian talents further enhanced its impact as winners of Star Quest along with other top Nigerian musicians perform at designated locations. Also, there was the mother of all concerts in Star Mega Jam, an annual music event which featured both international and local artists from 2000 to 2010 before it was rested due to logistic issues. This venture opened up the Nigerian music scene and contributed immensely to the growth the entertainment industry is enjoying today. It redefined entertainment in Nigeria with the presence of international music royalties like Awilo Logomba, Shaggy, Usher, Koffi Olumide, 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Kevin Lyttle, LL Cool J, Akon, Kanye West, T-Pain, Nelly, Nas, Busta Rhymes and Ludacris headlining events in Abuja and Lagos, where the concerts were held to world-class acclaim of electrifying performances and massive turnout along with local artistes.
The company continues to stamp its essence on Nigerian culture and lifestyle, crossing the divide of brand-related entertainment in brand ambassadorship of music stars and actors with Wande Coal, Burna Boy, Flavour, Phyno, Mr Macaroni, Odunlade Adekola among others.
Bringing Back Highlife Music
In 2017, under the sponsorship of Life Continental Beer, Nigerian Breweries Plc announced its commitment to the promotion and celebration of highlife music in the South East with Hi-Life Music Fest. It sent the region wild as a way of bringing the rich genre of music back to the mainstream with local talents delighted that they have found the stage to rise to stardom like their legends in Osita Osdadebe, Oliver De Coque, Celestine Ukwu and many others. The festival has been a success and continues to wax stronger each year with the announcement of a new highlife king with Umunnakwe Nwajiaku the winner of the last edition. There are other consumer engagement platforms too sponsored by Life Lager in the East- Life Progress Booster and Umu Oganiru Festival- in the South East as platforms to deepen the values of progress that the brand and the people of South East Nigeria share.
Empowering the African Film and Creative Industry
Like a colossus, Nigerian Breweries through its premium brand Amstel Malta carried the weight of Africa’s entertainment industry on its magnificent shoulders with the headline sponsorship of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) for ten years. Since the inception of the awards in 2013, Amstel Malta continues to champion African creativity and excellence in the film and creative industry. In celebration of the event’s milestone in 2024, the brand sponsored three award categories — Best Movie, Best Digital Content Creator and the Best Indigenous Africa Magic Original awards, demonstrating its support and celebration of the best of African film and entertainment. A commitment that is enabling the growth of the African film and creative industry, celebrating the brilliance, innovation, and sheer magic of African storytelling on screen.
Strutting on the fashion runway
The presence of Heineken at the Lagos Fashion Week 2024 with the introduction of the 45cl bottle and unveiling of the Heineken 45 Collection under the theme ‘Urban Refresh’ was a math made in style. An unforgettable experience with 5 leading Nigerian designers who infused Heineken’s creativity, boldness, and the spirit of innovation into the vibrant Nigerian fashion industry to celebrate the energy of Nigerian city life, inspired by fast-paced living and dynamic creativity. It was the brand’s unique way of recognising and supporting the growth of a vibrant fashion industry, and simultaneously telling a story of a brand that not only delivers quality but also enhances cultural experiences, one refreshing sip and stylish collection at a time.
Rooting for Culture
As a company that values and celebrates Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage, Ace Roots was one of the partners that brought then the 2024 celebration of Ojude Oba Festival in Ijebu Ode to life. The festival is a significant cultural event which featured colourful parades, traditional music, dancing, and displays of cultural heritage. Ace Root showcased its dedication through engaging activities, interactive sessions, with festival attendees getting a first-hand experience of the essence of Ace Roots through special sampling sessions and cultural displays that highlighted the drink’s natural ingredients and traditional roots.
Brewing the Joy of True Entertainment
The company has been renowned for bringing happiness to its customers, supporting various entertainment activities. A notable one was in 2021, when it made Christmas merry across the country from sponsoring thrilling concerts from the 16th to the 30th which included Livespot X Festival, the Flytime Festival, the Orange Concert, Rhythm Unplugged, Stacked December among others which were headlined by heavy weights including PSquare, Wizkid, DJ Spinall, Neyo, Asa, Davido, Patoranking, Burna Boy, and other talented artistes.
With its expansion beyond beer in the acquisition of Distell Wines and Spirits, Nigerian Breweries remain committed to serving its recipe of true joy to Nigerians in diversified refreshments that encourage unified lifestyles of value, relaxation and fun.
Add a comment
