Heineken hides message on Barry Can’t Swim Show

• Barry Can’t Swim has teamed up with Heineken® to encourage fans to put their hands in the air, not their phones, at one of October’s biggest music events, ADE.

• Heineken installed innovative technology that delivered a hidden message visible only on phone screens during the opening party at The Loft, led by Barry Can’t Swim.

• Follows a study that shows 41% of Gen Z and Millennials find it frustrating to see a lot of phones in the air at a gig or concert.

• To help people better enjoy time with friends in real life, Heineken has launched The Boring Mode app that makes any smartphone boring – silencing apps and reducing distractions for truly quality social moments.

AMSTERDAM, Oct. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amsterdam Dance Event has teamed up with Heineken to encourage people to keep phone use on the dance floor to a minimum at this year’s global music event.

During Barry Can’t Swim’s DJ set at the ADE opening event, Heineken hid clever technology that delivered a message via infrared light that was invisible to the naked eye but became visible when people held up their phones to see the to film the performance. Fans were encouraged to “bore” their smartphones and capture the moment in their memories rather than on their phones.

The Amsterdam Dance Event expects over 500,000 visitors from 146 countries to see artists such as Four Tet, Peggy Gou, Eats Everything, Gorgon City and Jamie Jones.

The same technology was also implemented by Heineken at the Live Out Festival in Mexico, which was attended by 50,000 people earlier this month. Heineken wants to encourage people around the world to stay in the present and live their social life to the fullest, no matter where they are.

Heineken’s hidden message follows a growing trend of performing artists and DJs urging their fans to be more present in the moment during tours, festivals and club nights this summer.

But it’s not just artists who long for digital isolation. In recent years, there has been a growing trend among consumers, particularly Generation Z and Millennials, to turn off their phones in order to keep track of what is happening right in front of them.

Over a third (35%) of Gen Z and Millennial smartphone users in the UK, US and Netherlands said they check their phones more than they should during social gatherings, and six in ten (60% ) believe they would enjoy music events more if they could disconnect from their device.

Two-fifths (41%) said they find it frustrating to see a lot of phones in the air at a gig or concert. More than half (55%) admitted that recording a video of a performance was more important to them than being present in the moment, although 13% also said they rarely watch the recorded videos again anyway.

To help people spend quality time with friends in real life, Heineken launched the initiative The boring mode – an app that makes every smartphone boring and blocks other apps, notifications and even the camera for a set period of time.

Heineken wants people to turn down technology so they can spend their evenings more relaxed. “The Boring Mode” lets users go back to basics – pixelating their cameras, blocking apps like Gmail and Instagram, and keeping the constant ringing, buzzing, and notifications at bay.

said Scottish DJ and producer Barry Can’t Swim “I am all for The Boring Phone and Boring Mode that Heineken has created. When I heard about the new “anti-smart” phone concept, it was something that struck a chord with me. With live music, you are naturally more present and immersed when you give it your full attention than when you record a video on your phone. And without phones, the energy is definitely different – ​​people are more connected on the dance floor.”

Jorinde Boom, Head of Partnerships at ADE, comments, “Electronic music is meant to be felt, experienced and heard, not just in the ears but with all the body’s senses. We encourage everyone to experience and explore each artist’s performance to the best of their ability during ADE. We hope that this campaign, created by our main partner Heineken, will allow visitors to this year’s festival to enjoy all the world-class artists we have in our line-up without interruption.”

The Boring Mode is launched in response to the incredible demand for The Boring Phone – a collaboration between Heineken and Boston streetwear curator Bodega. When the limited-edition 2000-inspired flip phone (designed solely for messaging and calling) was released earlier this year, more than 70,000 people tried to get their hands on one.

Comments from Nabil Nasser, Global Head of Heineken®“Nowadays it feels like technology always comes first and the joy of real life comes second. While technology offers us countless conveniences, it also comes with the inability to stop and accept what is happening around us. At Heineken® we want to foster moments of true connection to enable a more rewarding social life. When we launched The Boring Phone earlier this year, demand was huge, but only a limited number were made. So we hope the launch of The Boring Mode helps even more people step away from taking photos to post on social media and instead look around to enjoy what’s right in front of them. After all, there’s more to your social life when you have less on your phone.”

Boring Mode is free to download iOS And Android Now.

Notes for editors:
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Research:
This online survey of 5,000 Gen Z and Millennials smartphone users of legal drinking age (2,000 in the UK, 2,000 in the US, 1,000 in the Netherlands) was commissioned by Heineken and conducted by market research firm OnePoll in accordance with the Market Research Code of Conduct Society carried out. The data was collected between March 2024 and October 2024. If necessary, data can be broken down by UK, US, Generation Z and Millennials demographics only. Further data from Italy, Brazil, Germany and Mexico available upon request. This survey was overseen and edited by the OnePoll research team. OnePoll is an MRS corporate partner, a corporate member of ESOMAR and a member of the British Polling Council.

About Heineken®
HEINEKEN® is the most international brewery in the world. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken® brand, the group has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. We rely on innovation, long-term brand investments, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through “Brewing a Better World” sustainability is anchored in the company. HEINEKEN® has a balanced geographical presence with leading positions in both developed and developing markets. We employ over 85,000 people and operate breweries, malthouses, cider factories and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. The shares of Heineken® NV and Heineken® Holding NV are traded on Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the common shares can be found 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) programs: Heineken® NV (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken® Holding NV (OTCQX: HKHHY).

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