Dive Brief:
- Heineken continues its battle against digital overload with its latest innovation, The Flipper, an AI-powered phone-case prototype that automatically flips a user’s phone face down when the word “cheers” is uttered, per information shared with Marketing Dive.
- The device is intended to keep people from being distracted by alerts on their phone while they are socializing. It’s demonstrated in a new 30-second video on YouTube and the conversation is extended online via the hashtag #SocialOffSocials.
- Heineken previously introduced the Boring Phone, which came devoid of the features that make modern smartphones so distracting. It was later followed by a Boring Mode app that turned any smartphone into a Boring Phone. The brand also created a phone-adjacent bottle opener that automatically shut down work apps.
Dive Insight:
Heineken’s crusade against the dominance of the smartphone’s outsized role in our lives continues with its latest marketing stunt. The Flipper was created in partnership with Swedish inventor, robotics enthusiast and professional YouTuber Simone Giertz to highlight the issue of “Phlubbing,” which is when people are so distracted by social media that they snub those they are actually with in real life. According to a study from the National Library of Medicine cited in press details, 47% of adults admit to being “phlubbers.”
In a video demonstrating the phone case’s capabilities, a phone sits on a bar counter as two Heinekens are set down on coasters. As the alerts pile up, the bottles are shown clinking in the background, and people are heard saying “cheers.” At that moment, the phone flips over thanks to an arm on the back of the phone case, making the alerts unviewable. The video concludes with the brand’s logo and the hashtag #SocialOffSocials, which addresses how some consumers are focused on taking a break from social media so they can be more social in real life.
“Bars are some of the best places to socialize and make new connections, and we thought The Flipper is a fun way to encourage people to flip off their socials and demonstrate why being present with those around you is so important,” said Nabil Nasser, global head of Heineken, in a release.
At the same time that Heineken is encouraging consumers to get off of their phones while they’re with their friends, a separate campaign in Italy and Brazil is encouraging them to use their smartphones to find new places to meet up. The new campaign, developed by agency Le Pub, highlights features familiar to those who’ve used online matchmaking — specifically swiping — to discover new bars.
Via a new Bar Dating app, consumers can view venue profiles to find matches that fit their personalities, such as laid-back vibes, humor, live music or conversation-friendly. Heineken worked with the bars to give their profiles the right glow up to get their profiles ready for the “scene.”
The “Bar Dating” campaign is backed by research showing 67% of Gen Z and millennials head back to the same bar over and over again when socializing with friends, even when they have a desire to discover new places, have new experiences and meet new people.
