Grand LIA
Creative Strategy

Heineken’s purpose has always been rooted in championing social life - captured in its long-standing platform, Social Networking Since 1873.

The brand sees pubs not just as places to drink, but as essential spaces for connection, where communities come together. This belief is embedded in its

For the Love of Pubs initiative. With The Pub That Refused to Die, Heineken brings this purpose to life by highlighting the deeper role pubs play, especially in rural Ireland, where their closure can mean the loss of an entire community’s social fabric.

The impact goes far beyond beer. It supports the perpetuation of these communities, helping preserve connection, identity, and everyday social life for generations to come.

There’s a saying in Irish: “Is treise an dúil ná an bás” (“desire is stronger than death”), and nowhere is it truer than in the community of Kilteely, where 26 locals decided to save their last pub with no experience whatsoever.

By supporting them on their journey to becoming pub owners, Heineken realised that the only real barrier preventing other communities from doing the same was a lack of experience. Heineken transformed their story into a blueprint, establishing community co-ownership as a replicable model to fight pub decline in rural Ireland.

To enable this, Heineken launched an educational platform based on the real experiences of Kilteely’s community, providing tools, guidance, and confidence to help others take ownership of their own pubs. The Pub That Refused to Die proved a simple truth: it takes a village to save a pub, and it takes a pub to save a village.

One community has already bought its last pub, while two more are currently in the active process. Generated 232 million earned media impressions alongside a €1 million investment in a dedicated bar training and support program.