Heineken's magical bottle opener shuts you out of work mode in new global campaign

Push from Publicis also includes a spoof tech launch and a giveaway with Billy Eichner

Published On
Jun 01, 2022

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Heineken's new global campaign is urging people to switch off from work and enjoy themselves, courtesy of a new bottle opener that it claims will "switch off" all your work apps.

The satirical campaign, via Publicis Italy, launches the bottle opener, dubbed "The Closer" and shaped like a phone case, in the manner of the latest iconic tech innovation. A film, directed by Francois Rousselet at Division, shows workers around the world finding out that the gadget can automatically power off their work apps when they're working late or trying to make work calls while out at clubs and bars.

In the U.S. actor and comedian Billy Eichner is revealing the bottle opener at an event today in the manner of a typical tech launch. Limited edition numbers will be available via a giveaway on June 8, and Heineken will also encourage workers to block their calendars at the end of the day with a "Calendar Closer" to prevent coworkers from scheduling meetings after working hours. The first people to download it will be rewarded with Venmo credits, in order for them to have beer money for time with friends. 

According to Heineken, the campaign is a response to the fact that people are working ever longer hours since the pandemic and the adoption of new technology, which is translating to less time spent with friends and family or pursuing personal hobbies.

“As a brand, we have always stood for creating moments of shared connections with others,” said Bram Westenbrink, global head of the Heineken brand, in a statement. “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.”

“As people continue to feel like they have to work all the time, they’re forgetting that disconnecting is even an option,” added Bruno Bertelli, global chief creative officer of Publicis Worldwide. “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.”

The campaign is also the latest from Heineken and Publicis to poke fun at our obsession with tech, devices and social media; earlier this year, the brand held a press conference in the metaverse to publicize a new beer that "tastes of nothing" in a stunt to promote real-life new launch, Heineken Silver. It followed that with a campaign that played on the fakeness of Instagram.