Heineken is transforming digital group chats into real-world experiences through its ongoing “#SocialOffSocials” campaign, featuring New York Knicks player Josh Hart.
In the “Group Chat Bar” activation, Heineken created a New York bar inspired by Hart’s group chat, Cold Water. This pop-up space enabled chat members, who are geographically dispersed, to gather in person over drinks.
The initiative draws on Heineken’s “Social Off Socials” study, which found that while 94% of Americans participate in group chats, 29% meet their chat groups in person no more than once a month.
The campaign encourages shifting from digital messages to face-to-face interaction, highlighting beer as a social catalyst. Beyond the Cold Water experience, Heineken is hosting a contest allowing one U.S.-based group chat to win a personalized bar event. Entries can be submitted on Heineken’s website or via certain social media posts, to boost online engagement.
The study, conducted in October 2025 with 1,000 smartphone users aged 25 to 45 who engaged in group chats recently, revealed that 80% want more in-person meetups. Among those who do gather, 83% feel refreshed and energized afterward, 75% feel closer to their group, and 87% believe nothing replaces face-to-face connection.
Heineken has consistently emphasized authentic social connection in its marketing. Earlier in 2025, it humorously countered a wearable AI companion company with ads promoting friendship over beer. In 2024, the brand launched an app to reduce smartphone distractions and encourage real-world interaction.
Despite these efforts, Heineken faces challenges as alcohol consumption declines in the U.S.; in 2025, 54% of adults reported drinking alcohol, down 4 points from the previous year, while 53% view drinking as harmful to health. Consequently, Heineken has increased focus on nonalcoholic options, such as its Heineken 0.0 campaign launched in January to destigmatize alcohol abstention.