‘To help tackle the growing work-life imbalance’ Heineken has produced The Closer, a bottle opener that ‘sleeps’ your computer as soon as its used.
With workers across Australia facing shortened deadlines on the back of the September public holidays, and the October long weekend, Heineken believes The Closer has arrived at an apt time.
Indeed, the brewer has highlighted an Australian Institute for Future Work 2021 Report, which detailed that Aussies are working the equivalent of an extra eight 38 hour weeks of work a year.
Heineken’s Country Manager for Australia, Willemijn Sneep, hopes that the tongue-in-cheek opener will help Australian workers feel more empowered to switch off for the day.
“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,” Sneep 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,” Sneep continues.
“We know the issue is a complicated one and of course won’t solely be solved by The Closer. 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.
“As a first step, there are already plans in place we hope to share soon, as part of our way to help Aussies apply a fresh perspective to how they can get better at closing down work on time and continue to prioritise their social & leisure time with friends and family.
“As a brand, we’ve always stood for creating moments of shared connections with others,” Sneep concludes.
Closer bottle openers are limited in number, and Australians can enter for their chance to win one via the Heineken Australia facebook page.