Heineken Turns Pubs into ‘The Office’ to Celebrate Return of After-Work Culture

A third of UK workers have seen changes in their working patterns to spend more time at their offices in the past six months, and Heineken has set out its stall: it wants more Brits in office meetings, but with a twist.

The beer brand has launched a new campaign, brought to life by creative agency LePub, renaming pubs across the UK to ‘The Office’ to spotlight the silver lining of being back at your desk - the bit that comes right after. Whether it’s the commute, the unspoken rule of needing to make everyone a cup of coffee, or simply the need to put something smart on, we’ve all had our fair share of gripes with heading back to the office. But one thing’s been overlooked in the years-long debate - and that’s the value of catching up with colleagues to socialise after work.

Heineken has long championed making connections with people face to face, and now, with 46% of hybrid workers saying they miss out on post-work patter, the beer brand is offering a free pint of Heineken Original or Heineken 0.0 for workers and their colleagues at more than 1,000 pubs.

Some 22 million people across the UK enjoy after work socialising with their colleagues, but that figure has seen a slight reduction from pre-pandemic figures (down 5%). Since then, new working practices mean some 58% of gen z hybrid workers have never met some of those they work with - and that’s despite 72% of them agreeing the best place to build a relationship with your co-workers is outside of work.

The after-work social has long been a sacred British tradition, fostering connections and fuelling productivity. Some 78% of workers polled said after work socialising is a good way to meet new people and contacts. A further 32% said they have their most honest conversations at the pub, while 74% of gen z claimed they have their best work ideas not at work, but at the pub social straight afterwards.

It should be no surprise, then, that a new report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research showed that every £10 spent on after-work socialising brings an additional £13.40 to the wider economy. In fact, after-work socialising is set to generate an aggregate economic footprint of £28.9bn in the UK 2025 alone, and the sector supports a massive 300,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

​Nabil Nasser, global head of Heineken, said, "The return-to-office chat continues to stir up debate. After years of video calls and virtual cheers it’s safe to say that while we might not miss the office, we’ve certainly missed those real, in-person laughs with our colleagues. At Heineken, we’ve always believed the best moments happen when people get together, so this month we’re raising our pints to ‘circling back’ to our colleagues – at the pub”.

​Bruno Bertelli, global CEO LePub, CCO LePub Worldwide, said, “The shift back to full-time office work has brought to light how vital informal social interactions are to workplace culture and creativity. ‘The Office’ campaign taps into this insight by transforming pubs into extensions of the workplace, spaces where authentic conversations flow naturally after hours. By reimagining the pub as part of the office environment, we’re seamlessly encouraging colleagues to reconnect, collaborate, and innovate outside the formal desk setting.”

The campaign creatively brings to life the insight that informal, after-work socialising strengthens connections and sparks creativity among colleagues in a fun, genuine way outside of their desks. This inventive rebrand invites co-workers to enjoy after-work drinks without guilt, giving 'The Office' a whole new meaning. Heineken anchors itself in the cultural shift, proving that it doesn’t just sell beer, it creates space for human connection.

While a handful of pubs cheekily had changed signs, more than 1,000 pubs in England are taking part in the offer of a free pint of Heineken or Heineken 0.0. Simply sign up here to receive a voucher, which can be shared with up to three friends (one pint per person), Monday to Friday throughout October from 4:59pm.