Heineken, in collaboration with Bodega, a brand for street culture, launches the new global campaign "The Boring Phone" with a limited edition of "dumb phones" designed to have reduced technological capabilities, so as to encourage people to rediscover the pleasures of offline world. Today, with smartphones that are increasingly interesting with the aim of involving the user at 360°, it is easy to be constantly connected, but it becomes increasingly difficult to experience real moments of sharing with those around us without distractions.

Produced by European mobile innovator Human Mobile Devices (HMD), Heineken and Bodega's “The Boring Phone” eliminates all the distractions of current smartphones (social media and apps) in favor of essential features, such as sending and receiving calls and messages of text, so as to promote a more authentic sharing of time spent in the company of friends. The transparent case and holographic stickers draw inspiration from Gen Z's love of fashion and Newtro design and are reminiscent of cell phones from the early 2000s. The "dumb" phone also has a battery life of 20 hours. Heineken® and Bodega began their collaboration with the aim of demonstrating how rich social life can be when you disconnect from your smartphones.

“We all need a break from the constant distractions of technology, which our research has shown is particularly relevant for young Gen Z and Millennials,” comments Nabil Nasser , global director of Heineken. “When we spoke to them about it to the use they make of smartphones, we immediately understood that many often feel distracted by their phone, but do not want to give it up completely. Like Heineken, we want to promote the importance of experiencing authentic offline moments, helping people rediscover the joy of being together. With the creation of The Boring Phone we went back to the origins, we reduced the functionality of the technology to encourage people to experience real moments of connection over a good beer, without the constant distractions resulting from notifications."

For his part, Oliver Mak , co-founder of Bodega, underlines: "At Bodega we see ourselves as a vehicle to connect culture and young people, so when Heineken proposed us to collaborate on a project that has this aim, we enthusiastically welcomed the opportunities Although we have grown up surrounded by technology, we in Generation Z and Millennials are realizing that our addiction to smartphones is affecting our ability to create real connections. This also affects the way we have fun and, more generally, the development of culture itself. Since smartphones are so interesting, we wanted to find a way to design one that wasn't, so we took inspiration from the 'Newtro' trend, reinterpreting a cultural icon. past that some young Zillennials may never have known. We can't wait to see what the response will be to the launch of The Boring Phone, the result of the union of our common visions regarding creativity and sociality. We truly believe that this will help satisfy the need of new generations to rediscover the value of real moments of sharing."

“I am proud to be able to launch this globally relevant campaign here in Italy. The setting of Design week, the most important Italian design event, is the perfect opportunity to convey the irreverent but profound message that is the basis of "The Boring Phone". The objective we want to pursue, in fact, is to start a conversation, in the ironic style typical of the brand, about the importance of creating real connections not mediated by social media and smartphones", comments Jan Bosselears , Marketing Director of Heineken Italia, " We are convinced that the Heineken x Bodega Boring Phone is the perfect tool to start talking about the importance of breaking down the barriers to socialization that technology sometimes creates without us realizing it so as to ensure that young people have opportunities for real fun with their friends, fully enjoying the moments, without distractions."

After the world premiere presentation at Milan Design Week, some limited edition “The Boring Phone” will be distributed in Italy to facilitate more offline moments and invite young people to reclaim the quality time spent with friends and loved ones, thus contributing to making the most authentic and engaging evenings in company. During 2024 the phones will be available in several markets through dedicated consumer engagement mechanisms and prize competitions. An app will also be launched in June that will turn any smartphone into a "dumb" device to give those who can't get the device the same experience as the Boring Phone.

The event at Desgin Week will be open to the public on April 19th, to register visit https://www.theofflineparty.it/. To receive more information on “The Boring Phone” campaign, visit https://www.heineken.com/it/it/theboringphone.