To address the growing issue of work-life imbalance, Heineken Australia has launched The Closer, a high-tech bottle opener that immediately shuts all work applications when a bottle of Heineken is opened with it.
The Closer is positioned as the antidote to the increasing demands of our always-on work culture, where the average Australian is now working 1.5 hours more of unpaid overtime each week, the equivalent of an extra eight 38-hour weeks of work a year.
Heineken hopes the satirical symbol will help Australian workers feel empowered to say no to extra work and sign off on time so they can spend more time connecting with friends and family.
“As a brand, we’ve always stood for creating moments of shared connections with others,” Heineken country manager for Australia, Willemijn Sneep, says.
“While it’s often something we take on the chin, overwork is an Australian affliction. We want to spark a much-needed conversation about the importance of work-life boundaries and the reprioritisation of our social and leisure time, so everyone can feel empowered to log off and enjoy their personal time.”
The Closer comes at a timely moment, off the back of the September public holidays, and leading into the October long weekend (ACT, NSW, QLD, SA), leaving Aussie workers across the country trying to cram the same amount of work into a reduced timeframe, no doubt leading to overtime. Heineken intends for its high-tech bottle opener to be a catalyst for change in helping Australian workers on their journey to better work-life balance.
“We know the issue is a complicated one and of course won’t solely be solved by The Closer,” Willemijn says.
“The Closer isn’t just about the technology, it’s a social provocation to help people see that the pressure to work all the time is evident and more needs to be done. We don’t have all the immediate answers, but we as a brand view it as our ongoing duty to get there, while helping Australians work more responsibly in the process.”
He says that, as a first step, there are already plans in place we hope to share soon, as part of Heineken’s way to help Aussies apply a fresh perspective to how they can get better at closing down work on time and continue to prioritise social and leisure time with friends and family.
A limited number of Closer bottle openers are available in Australia. Australian workers can enter for their chance to win one via Heineken Australia’s Facebook page – @HeinekenAustralia.
People can also learn more about the device and some of Heineken’s initial tips on how to #WorkResponsibly to achieve better work-life balance by visiting this link.
