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At Milan Design Week, where the world’s most innovative design is on display, one of the buzzworthy launches could be a throwback phone with basic features from the early 2000s.
Heineken collaborated with streetwear retailer Bodega to create The Boring Phone, a device purposefully designed with reduced tech capabilities. Produced by Nokia manufacturer Human Mobile Devices (HMD), the phone can only send and receive calls and text messages; users won’t be able to browse the internet or download any apps.
The idea is to encourage people to switch off from their phones and embrace a social life with more authentic, in-person connections.
“At Heineken, our mission is to help foster real connections, so we have gone back to the basics with The Boring Phone,” Nabil Nasser, global head of Heineken, told ADWEEK. “In a world where smartphones are becoming too interesting, it will help people discover that there is more to their social lives when there is less on their phones, reigniting the joy of socializing without distraction from constant buzzing and dings.”
Heineken and Bodega will debut The Boring Phone during a Milan Design Week party on April 18. Treating it more like a coveted fashion or art object, the brands will release a limited run of 5,000 phones and gift them to celebrities, influencers and the general public.
Inspired by popular “newtro” design (a mix of new and retro trends), The Boring Phone is a reinterpretation of devices from the early 2000s, with transparent casing and holographic stickers.
Three ads accompanying the launch capture the rewards of switching off from devices. One spot takes place at a concert, where most of the crowd is filming the performance on their phones—missing out on the chance to score a T-shirt from one of the band members.
Publicis Groupe’s LePub created the campaign, with support from PR agency The Romans and media agency Dentsu Red Star.
Helping Gen Z switch off
The work follows a global trend of Gen Z consumers wanting to detox from their smartphones. A recent study commissioned by Heineken and conducted by OnePoll reveals how technology is distracting young adults from meaningful engagements.
For instance, 90% of Gen Zers and millennials in the U.S. and U.K. confessed to doom scrolling while socializing with friends and families, checking their devices an average of seven times on a night out.
Two-thirds of respondents admitted to checking social media when hanging out with others, while over a third (36%) said they checked work emails. But 32% said they would like to be able to switch off from their phones while on a night out.
It made sense for Heineken and Bodega to collaborate on this project, because while the beer brand is about “championing a more rewarding social life,” the retailer “specializes in revealing hidden treasures and inspiring those who seek more from the ordinary,” said Bruno Bertelli, global CEO of LePub and chief creative officer of Publicis Worldwide.
“The Boring Phone isn’t just a product; it’s a cultural statement—a must-have item that stands out in the crowd, sparking conversations and bringing a sense of collectability,” Bertelli said. “It’s about catalyzing a cultural shift towards not missing out on an exciting social life.”
Heineken has a history of using its marketing campaigns to foster social connections. In 2022, with “The Closer,” the beer brand challenged the rise and grind culture of working late by creating a bottle opener that puts laptops into sleep mode.
