Heineken® has unveiled apps in Italy and Brazil that will help young adults find bars the same way they prefer to find love: through swiping
Global data shows that 67% of young adults* tend to go back to the same bar time again, despite wanting now more than ever to explore new places, have new experiences and meet new people
With dating apps now part of everyday life, Heineken® is blending the words of swiping and socialising - offering consumers a clever and easy new way to match with a new bar and refresh their social life
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AMSTERDAM, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heineken® is shaking up the dating app scene - not for romance, but to help young adults discover new bars and “match” with a more rewarding social life.
The global beer brand has launched ‘Bar Dating’ apps in Brazil and Italy, designed to add a fresh twist to a night out by helping consumers find new venues and break free from their ‘usual’. No longer just a way to connect with new people, consumers will be able to use the apps to “swipe right” on their next (bar) date.
Each bar has a dating profile so consumers can find a match which is just their type. Whether that’s a bar with stacks of personality, one with more laid back vibes, one with a good sense of humour, passionate about live music, or one that simply serves their go-to beer with a side of good conversation.
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The Hei app in Brazil will include a Bar Dating feature allowing consumers to match with new bars
Heineken® - which has always strived to foster quality socialising moments - hopes that the launch of the new apps will help younger consumers break free from the sameness, expand their social bubbles and build more real-life connections. It has also been designed to support the bar industry - encouraging more customers through doors. As part of the campaign, Heineken® has worked with bars to give their dating profiles a glow up ahead of the launch of the app to help attract new customers.
The launch comes hot on the heels of new global research revealing that 67% of young adults (Gen Z and Millennials) worldwide admit they tend to play it safe and go back to the same bar time and time again when socialising with friends.
Despite having the strongest desire to discover new places, have new experiences, and meet new people, the reality is Gen Z and Millennials tend to stick to their comfort zone. 21% are worried about going somewhere they wouldn’t like, 18% say it is too hard to please all their friends, and 15% say they are overwhelmed by choice.
The research found that this was having a knock on effect on how young people felt about their social lives. More than half (59%) admitted they didn’t think it was as rewarding as it could be, with a third (34%) wishing their social life involved more new experiences and a quarter (23%) of Gen Z saying it lacked a certain ‘spark’.
Nabil Nasser, Global Head of Heineken® says, “When we were studying this research, it came as a surprise that although younger consumers have a desire to be adventurous and try new things, the reality is they are often stuck in the same routine which leads to many feeling that their social lives are becoming stale. We want to encourage young people to step out of their comfort zones and visit new bars to help build more real-life connections. Speaking to a generation of digital natives, drawing inspiration from the world of dating apps seemed like a natural place to start. Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to break up with your local, simply play the field a little for a more rewarding social life.”
Gone are the days of meet-cutes and blind dates organised by friends, the research shows that the first place Gen Z and Millennials turn when they want to spice up their love lives is apps.
Heineken® found that two-thirds (64%) would like a way to find new bars the same way they swipe through dating apps. And with a similar number (63%) saying they’d be happy to consider an open relationship with their local, it’s clear monogamy will not be an issue.
Half (47%) don't think social experiences should be limited to one place and the same people and two in five (37%) believe discovering new places could keep their social life fresh, stimulating and exciting.
Bar Dating is just one of a number of campaigns launching across 2025 designed to back the bars and support socialisation across the world – and follows the success of Heineken’s®Pub Succession campaign in March 2025.
About the Bar Dating WebApp (Italy) Bar Dating is a WebApp that helps you discover great bars and events while effortlessly planning get-togethers with friends to meet at the bar. Access it via bardating.com
About the Hei App (Brazi): The Hei App is a mobile app designed to help consumers discover new bars in São Paulo, Brazil. With expert curation of São Paulo’s bar scene, the app offers exclusive content and recommendations - all discoverable via swiping, akin to a dating app. The Hei App will be frequently updated with new content and will feature curation by major names in the cultural scene. To download Hei App, simply visit the mobile app store—Google Play or Apple Store—and search for ‘Hei.’ The app is restricted to users aged 18 and over.
Research: *Heineken® commissioned survey of attitudes to dating and socialising. Sample size of 7,200 adults of legal drinking age across the UK, USA, South Africa, India, Brazil, France, Italy & Egypt). Research conducted by OnePoll, March 2025. Research can be broken down by country and further demographics on request.
About Heineken® HEINEKEN® is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken® brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brewing a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business. HEINEKEN® has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We employ over 85,000 employees and operate breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Heineken® N.V. and Heineken® Holding N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN® has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken® N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken® Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY).
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