PR96233

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- New Work-Shuttering Tech Encourages Workers to Close Down at the End of the

Work Day to Enjoy Time with Friends

With mounting societal pressure to be constantly busy, rapid adoption of new

work technology and a global pandemic forcing a complete overhaul of where and

when work gets done, workers have increased their average working day by 2.5

hours, according to NordVPN Teams. When added up, all these extra hours are

negatively impacting overall employee wellbeing, translating to less time spent

with friends and family or pursuing personal hobbies.

HEINEKEN(R) is addressing this growing work life imbalance with The Closer, an

outlandish high-tech bottle opener that immediately shuts all work applications

when a bottle of Heineken is opened with it. Dramatized in a campaign film

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP3JRx4p9BQ] as the antidote to the increasing

demands of our always-on work culture, The Closer bottle opener itself is a

satirical symbol for the power every worker has to close down at the end of the

day.

"As a brand, we have always stood for creating moments of shared connections

with others," said Bram Westenbrink, Global Head Heineken(R) Brand at HEINEKEN.

"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."

The Closer bottle opener will be announced at an exclusive launch event

reminiscent of iconic tech announcements. A keynote address by Billy Eichner

will unveil the only gadget that can help solve a core problem caused by other

remote-work enabling technologies. By overemphasizing the necessity of such a

high-tech marvel, Eicnher will remind us all that everyone already has

everything they need to close down right at their fingertips.

Workers in the United States will be able to enter for their chance to win a

Closer bottle opener on June 8, 2022 at www.heineken.com/closer. But fans will

have to act quickly, as the promotion will only be open from 10 am - 11:59 pm

ET. More devices will be made available in additional markets in the coming

months.

Once all the Closer bottle openers are claimed, HEINEKEN(R) will encourage

workers in the United States to block their calendars at the end of the day

with a Calendar Closer to prevent coworkers from scheduling meetings after

working hours. Workers who are first to use the Calendar Closer at

www.heineken.com/closer will be rewarded with beer money to enjoy social time

with their friends.

"As people continue to feel like they have to work all the time, they're

forgetting that disconnecting is even an option," said Bruno Bertelli, Global

Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Worldwide, the lead agency that created the

campaign. "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."

As a business with over 80,000 employees around the world, HEINEKEN(R) has not

been immune to the increased demands placed on its vast workforce. An employee

wellbeing program was established in 2021 to identify causes of work life

imbalance around the world, with a dedicated team responsible for identifying

and sharing best practices to address them. This year and beyond, the team

plans to host over 1,000 workshops in 80+ countries to find new ways of working

to better support the professional, emotional, social and physical wellbeing of

all employees. This campaign was created to spark conversation, and for

HEINEKEN(R), it starts by empowering its own employees.

"While work life imbalance is an issue felt around the world, it can't be

solved with just one policy change," said Yolanda Talamo, Global Head of Human

Resources at HEINEKEN. "This high-tech bottle opener is a symbol that acts as a

catalyst for change, but the work is ahead of us. We are asking all of our

employees to help us identify practical solutions that take into account the

cultural nuances in each of the countries we operate in so everyone can enjoy

more balance between their work and personal time."

This is the first campaign from HEINEKEN(R) 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. With this first effort, HEINEKEN(R) is inspiring people around the

world to stop overworking and open their minds to what can happen after the

work stops.

To learn more about the The Closer global campaign, visit

www.heineken.com/closer.

See credits list from the campaign film – Here

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elman_com/ETro_KCq-DBNpbfXfK_7LoUBWc50zvTQiuWDOtcZOpwwzA?rtime=Zds4s_dC2kg]

About HEINEKEN

HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer

and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken(R) brand,

the Group has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local and

specialty beers and ciders. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand

investment, disciplined sales execution, and focused cost management. Through

"Brewing a Better World," sustainability is embedded in the business.

HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in

both developed and developing markets. We employ over 85,000 employees and

operate breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in

more than 70 countries. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares trade on

the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on

Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS

and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt

(ADR) programmes: Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken Holding N.V.

(OTCQX: HKHHY).

Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN's website:

www.theHEINEKENcompany.com and follow us on Twitter via @HEINEKENCorp

[https://twitter.com/HEINEKENCorp].

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1827637/Heineken_Closer_1.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1827639/Heineken_Closer_2.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1827640/Heineken_Closer_3.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1827644/Heineken_Logo.jpg

Source: HEINEKEN(R)