Living life through a smartphone means missing out on real life moments. Smartphones are becoming a bit too interesting distracting people from what’s going on around them. In April, Heineken and LePub created the Boring Phone that can send and receive calls and text messages but can’t download social media or other apps that take away from being present. Now the partners have seized another opportunity – Boring Mode, an app specifically designed by the brand to limit phone use and bring people back to socialising by turning off distractions.
To launch the app, they hacked music events across the world to deliver a hidden message, encouraging people to minimise phone use on the dance floor and to be more present during memorable moments. They teamed up with Silver Live Out Festival in Mexico and the opening party of the Amsterdam Dance Event in the Netherlands, headlined by Barry Can’t Swim, to install innovative technology that delivered the message via infrared lighting. This is invisible to the naked eye but revealed itself when people held up their phones to film the performance, encouraging people to keep the moment in their memory, not on their phone. The message was also a prompt for the Boring Mode app.
With The Boring Mode, people will be able to go back to basics – pixelating their cameras, blocking apps, and keeping the constant dings, buzzes and notifications at bay. The launch follows a growing trend of performing artists and DJs asking fans to be more present in the moment across tours, festivals and club nights this summer.
Scottish DJ and producer, Barry Can’t Swim, stated, “I’m all in favour of The Boring Phone and Boring Mode, Heineken have created. When I heard about the new ‘anti-smart’ phone concept, it was something that struck a chord with me. With live music, of course you are more present and immersed if you are giving it your full attention, rather than taking a video on your phone. And without phones, the energy is definitely different – people are more connected on the dancefloor.”
In recent years there has also been a growing trend, particularly among Gen Z and Millenials, wanting to tune out from their phones so they can tune in to what is happening right in front of them. In the campaign research*, over a third (35%) of Gen Z and Millennial smartphone users across the UK, US and the Netherlands said they check their phones more often than they should when socialising and six in ten (60%) think they’d enjoy music events more if they could disconnect from their device.
Two fifths (41%) said they find it frustrating to see a crowd of phones in the air when out at a gig or concert. More than half (55%) admitted that they had prioritised capturing a video of a performance rather than being present in the moment, even though 13% also said they rarely watch back the videos they capture anyway.
The Boring Mode is being launched in response to the incredible demand for The Boring Phone – a collaboration between Heineken and Boston streetwear curators, Bodega. When the limited-edition Y2K inspired flip phone (designed to do absolutely nothing but message and call) was launched earlier this year, more than 70,000 people tried to get their hands on one.
Heineken has also made the hidden infrared technology used publicly available for any artist to be able to download and implement at their live shows.
Nabil Nasser, global head of Heineken commented, ”Today it feels like tech always comes first, leaving the enjoyment of real life in second place. While technology grants us endless conveniences, it also comes at the cost of not being able to stop and embrace what’s happening around us. At Heineken, we want to foster moments of genuine 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 take a step back from taking photos for posting on social media, and instead look around to enjoy what’s right in front of them. After all, there is more to your social life, when there is less on your phone.”
Bruno Bertelli, global CEO LePub and CCO Publicis Worldwide, added, “The essence of this tech-driven initiative is to redefine the concert experience, creating spaces with no distractions where people can authentically live the moment and immerse themselves in the magic of live music. By leveraging creativity and innovation, such as Heineken’s collaboration with Silver Live Out and ADE, we transformed phones into tools for deeper connections. Celebrating the power of music, the Boring Mode app aims to bring people together in meaningful ways and give socialising the quality it really deserves.”
The Boring Mode is available to download, for free, on iOS and Android now.
Research*: The online survey of 5,000 Gen Z and Millennial Smartphone users of legal drinking age (2,000 UK, 2,000 USA, 1,000 NL) was commissioned by Heineken and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct. Data was collected between March 2024 – October 2024.
Credits:
Client: HEINEKEN Global
Senior Director Global Heineken Brand: Nabil Nasser
Global Communication Director: Daniela Iebba
Global Digital Director: Rob van Griensven
Global Communication Manager: Guilherme de Marchi Retz
Global Head Digital Consumer Innovation: Natacha Volpini
Global PR Lead: Jonathan O’Lone
Global Brand PR Manager: Joseph Brophy
Global Business Specialist: Colleen Muller
Agency: LEPUB
Global CEO LePub, CCO Publicis Worldwide: Bruno Bertelli
Global Chief Creative Officer: Cristiana Boccassini
Chief Creative Officer: Mihnea Gheorghiu
Executive Creative Directors: Eoin Sherry, Felipe Ferreira & Gaston Soto
Creative Directors:Corina Patraucean, Rainor Marinho & Marie Poumeyrol
Head of Art: Andrea Ferlauto
Associate Creative Directors: Valentino Borghesi & Geo Joseph
Art Directors: Christopher Jones & Flavia Conti
Copywriter: Cristiana Candido
Junior Art Director: Peter Sjo
Global Head of PR & Communication: Isabella Cecconi
Senior PR Manager: Eleonora Botta
Global Head of Creative Technology: Mauro Mazzei
Head of Digital Production: Vittorio Cafiero
Digital Producer & Project Manager: Kejsi Haxhi
Chief Strategy Officer: Sol Ghafoor
Global Client Service Director: Shirine Aoun
Global Client Service Director: Ilaria Castiglioni
Account Directors: Rossana de Rosa & Gonzalo Gutierrez
Account Executive: Candida Franchi
Account Junior: Clara Boggia
Chief Production Officer: Francesca Zazzera
Head of TV Production: Anna Sica
Post-Producer: Margherita Fonseca
Editor: Claudio Roveda
Videomaker: Tommaso Bianchi
Production House Amsterdam: Bandit Productions
Producer: Lio Dijkman
Creative Agency: LE PUB MX
Chief Creative Officer: Aldo Rámirez
Chief Creative Officer: Ricardo Aviles
Creative Directors: Marco Garcia & Juan Pablo Balcazar
Art Director: Nestor Franco
Senior Copywriter: Pedro Pablo Bergelund
Managing Director: Almudena Blanco
Account Director: Nataly Gañan
Senior Account Supervisor: Daniela Peridgón
Production Director: Roberto Collazo
Production Manager: Lizeth Torres
Producers: Ana Galván & Lizeth Pérez
Production Company: THE ROMANS
Director: Kate Brazier
Senior Account Directors: Sophie Lambert-Russell & Andy Ruscoe
