By Anne Brugts, content manager Story Terrace
The life of the Heineken ambassador
If you watched Dutch television during the Olympic Games and the World Cup, you couldn’t possibly have missed him. The Heineken ambassador who was present at the biggest sports and orange events of 2014. Heineken’s COO (Chief Orange Officer) Marco van Houwelingen had a year he will never forget, and he shares his experiences with Story Terrace.
The Heineken COO was brought to life to spread the orange (Dutch national sports colour, ed.) sentiment. ‘Heineken is inextricably linked with “Oranje”‘ [the national sports team], said a spokesman for the beer giant in a press release shortly after the appointment of the COO. ‘The company therefore installed Marco van Houwelingen as a figurehead to spark orange fever worldwide. 
Dream job
Marco’s Heineken adventure started with an interview via video clip. ‘Like many other jobs, this one started with an interview. The only difference was that the first interview round wasn’t based on documents but on videos. Together with some friends, I came up with the idea of a one-take clip in which I expressed several all-Dutch concepts in a somewhat playful way.’ The sports fanatic and Oranje-fan survived the interview process unbeaten and was rewarded with his dream job with Heineken. ‘From February 2014 on, I had the privilege to be the very first Heineken COO ever.’
Heineken as a company has always held great appeal for Marco, who studied communication. ‘To me, Heineken is the Holy Grail when it comes to marketing expertise. Therefore, it was amazing to be working with them on this project. I wasn’t just a figure in front of the camera, but was also expected to get involved behind the scenes. I had no experience whatsoever with media, acting, presenting, etc. Coming at it fresh can be an advantage, though. It was very instructive and inspiring to be working with such professionals as directors and marketing experts.’
Weeping Yankees on Kingsday
Asked to recall highlights of his recent experiences, Marco remembers one particular incident straight away. ‘For Kingsday (the day we celebrate the Dutch king’s birthday, ed.) we wanted to invite a group of people from New York over to Amsterdam to celebrate this Oranje event with us. The preparations were up and running when I received a text message on a Wednesday saying there was a tiny change of plan. They had come up with the idea of sending me to New York in person to collect suitable candidates. Could I leave this Friday?’
‘The project was absolutely amazing. We plumped upon people in the street with a game in which it became clear whether they were up for a trip and a party. If they were, they could press a button and straight away a van would appear that would take them to the airport. When we arrived in Amsterdam, we found ourselves on a boat in one big orange procession through the canals. Along the way, the DJ Armin van Buuren hopped on. A few of the Yankees were huge fans and they instantly burst into tears.’
One waving mass of orange
The sports events were unforgettable as well. ‘When I was only just installed as COO, I was sent to the Olympic Games in Sotchi. Besides attending all the parties in the Holland Heineken House, I got to be present at a skating event. It turned out to be the game in which Stefan Groothuis won the 1000 metres. In my orange suit, I sat directly in front of his family. They were crying tears of joy as the crowd turned into one waving mass of orange.’
Of all the events he attended, it’s hard to name his favourite. ‘It was a range of moments. A high point, in the end, was the World Cup in Brazil of course. The Dutchies there were so enthusiastic. So they should have been, after travelling such a distance to watch their team play.’ From the party before a friendly game to a visit to the Oranje campsite, it was all fun. And exciting: ‘In the museum square I gave a speech for over 40.000 people, after which I got off the stage and merged into the crowd to watch the game with my friends.’ 
Between a writer’s isolation and TV fame
Apart from his hectic life as COO, Marco is also a writer. Before his life turned orange, he had already published his prize-winning debut novel. How does he manage to combine the two careers? ‘It is a big contrast, indeed. I’m currently working on my second novel and it is quite a shift to go from a life in front of the camera to days with just me and my computer.’
A book about his Heineken experiences is not to be expected. Marco says: ‘My latest book was fiction and the next one will be fiction too. I do get inspired by actual events in my own life, though. My debut novel was, for example, based on the notes I made while travelling through South America.’
Moreover, his Heineken adventure hasn’t exactly ended just yet. ‘We’re brooding over a sequel. Nothing is certain yet, but there are grand plans…’
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This month we celebrate 150 years Heineken. Also read our article Heineken in the USA. What does Heineken mean to you?
