New York, USA – In a bid to promote work balance while enjoying a cold bottle of beer when winding down, beer brand Heineken has launched a global campaign dedicated to the launch of ‘The Close’, a bottle opener that is programmed to shut down all work applications when used.
The new product is then dramatised in this satirical ad, where it depicts several workers caught up in their work and then wanting to drink a bottle of beer, shutting down their workspaces, including their electronics and other equipment. The ad is the antidote to the increasing demands of the always-on work culture, and ‘The Closer bottle’ opener itself is a satirical symbol for the power every worker has to close down at the end of the day.
The campaign, alongside the product launch, was conceptualised by Publicis Italy/Le Pub.
Bram Westenbrink, global head of Heineken® Brand at Heineken, said, “As a brand, we have always stood for creating moments of shared connections with others. With the once-rigid boundaries between work and personal time rapidly deteriorating following the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to spark a much-needed conversation about the importance of resisting the societal pressures to be in a constant state of busy work and encourage workers around the world to reprioritize social and leisure time with the people who matter most.”
Meanwhile, Bruno Bertelli, global chief creative officer at Publicis Worldwide, commented, “As people continue to feel like they have to work all the time, they’re forgetting that disconnecting is even an option. That’s why we created The Closer. It’s not just technology; it’s a social provocation to help people see that the pressure to work all the time is getting a little ridiculous and we all have the power to log off and go hang out with our friends again.”
This is the first campaign from Heineken that launches ‘For a Fresher World’, a new creative expression that aims to refresh the world by showing life tastes better with an open mind. With this new approach, campaigns will strive to challenge the obvious, reconsider stereotypes and oppose tired cliches.
