Through the Pub Museums activation, Heineken gave people an interactive virtual museum experience in historical Irish pubs. The audio guides and curated museum pieces encouraged customers to visit some of the oldest pubs in the world which are at risk from closing down because of increased running costs, higher taxes and inflation. Helping the public to support these cultural institutions and also helping other pub owners around the world to protect their own pubs.

The Irish pub is a cultural institution, famous the world over. These historical buildings have been serving their communities for centuries. Sadly now, some of the oldest pubs in the world found in Ireland are closing. Running costs, higher taxes and inflation mean that a quarter of Irish pubs have shut, an average of 150 each year.

Heineken's brand mission is to help people enjoy a richer social life. The closure of many historical Irish pubs in Ireland represented a barrier to people enjoying social life in these rich and historical places.

At the same time, The Irish Heritage Council offers protected status, tax support and other financial benefits to places of historical significance that are open to the public, such as museums. So, Heineken turned historic Irish pubs into virtual museums, enabling their rich past to protect their future.

The oldest pubs in the world are closing. Running costs, higher taxes and inflation mean that a quarter of pubs in Ireland have shut, an average of 150 each year.

Heineken's brand mission is to help people enjoy a richer social life. The closure of many historical Irish pubs in Ireland represented a barrier to people enjoying social life in these rich and historical places. So the brand aimed to safeguard these famous cultural institutions for the future.

The Irish Heritage Council offers protected status, tax support and other financial benefits to places of historical significance that are open to the public, such as museums. So, Heineken turned historic Irish pubs into virtual museums which people could visit. Enabling their rich past to protect their future.

The brand also created an online tutorial, teaching pub owners not just in Ireland but around the world how they could also become museums so that they would also be protected.

The initiative targeted the pubs’ local communities, as well as Irish news media. Not only helping to grow support for the individual pubs but also drawing attention to the bigger issue of endangered Irish pubs in the process.

The initiative also targeted other pub owners in Ireland and around the world so they would be made aware of how they could help to protect their own pubs as well.

The initial virtual Pub Museums experience was launched in 4 pubs across Ireland, along with beer mats and entry plaques to help guide people, a press release, launch video and tutorial for pub owners.

Pubs across Ireland were turned into virtual museums. Through augmented reality, objects in the pubs became 3D artifacts complete with audio guides. Allowing pubs to begin the process of becoming accredited museums.

People started their experience by scanning a QR code at the pub entrance. Once inside, customers were free to interact with historical items and enjoy the accompanying augmented reality experience, even buy virtual souvenirs to help financially support the pubs.

An online tutorial showed how a pub could become a museum, to protect pubs around the world could be protected.

The launch event at one of Dublin’s oldest pubs, Toners, saw special guests and the media try out the virtual tour for themselves. A press release told the media about the initiative. The experience was then rolled out at several pubs across Ireland, including Sean's Bar in Athlone and Mother Macs in Limerick.

Pub Museums gave pubs a tangible way to protect themselves from closure in challenging economic times. Including:

20% tax cut on building maintenance.

Economic evaluation of their cultural heritage collection

Protection from being bought out

Added to tourism guides

The launch of the museums also led to

134h+

OF AUDIO GUIDES HEARD

200k+

IN FUNDING

PENDING

+30%

FOOTFALL

IN PUBS

Irish pubs have also made a submission to the Irish Department of Culture to be protected by UNESCO.