“The Pub that Refused to Die” by Heineken

Source: Heineken

The traditional pub is a dying breed in Ireland, with an estimated one pub closing per day across Ireland and the U.K. It's an incredibly sad fact because in many cases, the pub is the community.

Especially in the more rural villages, the pub is the central meeting point. It's where people gather and it’s where people feel their own sense of belonging with their families, friends, and neighbors. There’s often no other place to do that.

Well, there's one pub in the small Irish village of Kilteely (population about 200) that refused to let that happen. When the owner retired and could no longer keep it running, the local residents pooled their money together to restore it. With Heineken's help and guidance, they kept the pub open.

Source: Heineken

How cool is that? The town’s residents refused to be one of the statistics.

Doing what brands do, Heineken captured the story in a short documentary to raise awareness of this cultural phenomenon, so other communities could save their pubs too. Here’s the trailer for it ..

It's a great example of a brand stepping into its community (literally, the beer drinkers of Kilteely) to solve a real problem and add real value to people's lives. I'm betting the residents of Kilteely will be loyal to Heineken for life. So will the other communities that follow suit.

There’s no big corporate advertising campaign at play here. This is Heineken being in the community, sharing its pain points, and creating joy for its consumers. Right when they need it most. Spreading the word so others can save their pubs too. Sure, they’re selling beer along the way because it all does have to get funded somehow as a business. Can’t be naive to that.

Can you do that for your consumers? Can you be there, like really there for them?

What's your experience? JIM

P.S. - Here’s the full docu ..