Heineken addresses “work-life imbalance” with bottle opener that literally shuts your computer down

As has been reported, the shift to remote work for millions of people certainly has its benefits — but while not wasting time commuting, or let’s face it, dressing, is a boon, many have seen their work days getting longer. 

Workers have increased their average working day by 2.5 hours, according to a study from NordVPN Teams. With that in mind, Heineken has launched a gadget that can help with what it’s calling this work-life imbalance: It’s called The Closer, and it’s a Bluetooth-enabled bottle opener that opens your beer — and shuts down your work apps.

Best of all, it’s free — if you win one. 

A cheeky spot advertises The Closer, showing folks feverishly trying to squeeze in one more Zoom meeting, until someone pops a top — and shuts down everybody’s computers. 

Bram Westenbrink, global head Heineken® Brand at HEINEKEN, says of the invention, “With the once-rigid boundaries between work and personal time rapidly deteriorating following the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to spark a much-needed conversation about the importance of resisting the societal pressures to be in a constant state of busy work and encourage workers around the world to reprioritize social and leisure time with the people who matter most.”

The Closer giveaway starts June 8 at 10 a.m. ET. Hey, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.