Close-Up: Live Issue - Do beer brands need TV advertising?(Heineken UK pulls of its ads from television)

Is Heineken taking an unnecessary risk by ditching its television ads for 2006, Poppy Brech asks.

Heineken's decision to pull out of TV advertising for 2006 is a bit like Manchester United deciding not to play Wayne Rooney in a Champions League final against Real Madrid: bold, risky and, in many people's eyes, unfathomable.

Not only is Heineken in the process of securing distribution for the premium variant it launched in the UK three years ago, but the Dutch brewer also has a strong advertising heritage in the UK, including a considerable investment in the Ray Liotta ads, created by Clemmow Hornby Inge.

Significantly, Heineken's competitors are unlikely to follow suit 'You're not going to find anyone lining up with Heineken here,' a spokesman for Scottish Courage, whose portfolio includes Foster's and John Smith's, says. Neither will Carling be abandoning TV, according to the brand's marketing director, Bill Simcox.

Heineken's UK managing director, Rob Marijnen, cheerfully agrees that the decision to come off TV is risky, but says the brand is already visible on TV through its Champions League and Rugby Cup sponsorships.

He stresses that the decision only affects next year's TV budget and is an experiment to see whether TV advertising really is the Holy Grail when it comes to reaching the masses.

Meanwhile, Heineken's annual TV spend, valued by Nielsen Media Research at pounds 3.1 million, will be used on press and outdoor ads. The aim of this strategy is to achieve what Marijnen describes as more 'in the face' communication with consumers, and he hopes to replicate the visibility of Guinness' iconic toucan poster ads.