Heineken and Bodega launch a no-apps 'Boring Phone' to save nights out — One Show Gold

Heineken's research showed a painful truth about nights out: 90% of 'zillennials' in the UK and US confessed to doom-scrolling while socialising with friends and family, checking their devices about seven times a night, with 62% checking social media mid-conversation. But 38% also said they would consider switching off completely.

Instead of telling young adults to put their phones down, Heineken gave them a better phone. With street-culture tastemaker Bodega and device maker HMD, the brand created 'The Boring Phone': a limited-run transparent, Y2K-styled dumb phone with no internet, no social media and no apps — its primary function is calls and texts, plus low-res photos and a deliberately boring Quick Snake game that is too easy to win.

The phone debuted at Milan Design Week in April 2024 with 'The Offline Party' at Teatro Alcione, where guests experienced an event with almost nobody filming it. The limited devices were given away to revellers around the world, and in June a free 'Boring Mode' app let anyone turn their own smartphone into a dumb phone during social occasions.

The campaign became a cultural object: over 7 billion earned media impressions in three weeks, coverage in 113 countries, and 800+ tracked news mentions — Heineken's highest-reaching brand PR campaign. It won a Gold Pencil in Design at The One Show 2025 and a Silver at Eurobest in PR.