Pub Museums

Background: Irish pubs are a cultural institution, famous the world over. These historical buildings have been serving their communities for centuries. Sadly now, some of the oldest pubs in the world found in Ireland are closing. Running costs, higher taxes and inflation mean that a quarter of Irish pubs have shut, an average of 150 each year. The Irish Heritage Council offers protected status, tax support and other financial benefits to places of historical significance that are open to the public, such as museums. So, Heineken turned historic Irish pubs into virtual museums, enabling their rich past to protect their future. Creative Idea: The Irish Heritage Council offers protected status, tax support and other financial benefits to places of historical significance that are open to the public, such as museums. So, Heineken turned historic Irish pubs into virtual museums which people could visit. Turning them to museums made the pubs eligible for tax reductions and allows their rich past to protect their future. Insights & Strategy: Heineken's brand mission is to help people enjoy a richer social life. The closure of many historical Irish pubs in Ireland represents a barrier to people enjoying social life in these rich and historical places.Heineken aimed to safeguard these famous cultural institutions so people can continue enjoying them and social life long into the future. The Irish Heritage Council offers protected status, tax support and other financial benefits to places of historical significance that are open to the public, such as museums. So, Heineken turned historic Irish pubs into virtual museums, enabling their rich past to protect their future. Execution: Pubs across Ireland were turned into virtual museums. Through augmented reality, objects in the pubs became 3D artifacts complete with audio guides. Allowing pubs to begin the process of becoming accredited museums. Seamless for the users, the tech behind the experience was created by combining complex elements to achieve what is an AR-navigable museum. Indoor navigation alongside pubs geolocation has been paired with training a model to recognize ancient objects present in the spaces. Each artefact was left untouched, yet turned into a 3D object recognizable at 360° through tracking, built with the use of photogrammetry. People started their experience by scanning a QR code at the pub entrance. Once inside, customers were free to interact with historical items and enjoy the accompanying augmented reality experience, even buy virtual souvenirs to help financially support the pubs. The brand also created an online portal, where pub owners not just in Ireland but across borders could apply to become museums so that they would also be protected. The launch event at one of Dublin’s oldest pubs, Toners, saw special guests and the media try out the virtual tour for themselves. A press release told the media about the initiative. The experience was then rolled out in several pubs across Ireland. The Pub Museum experience allowed users to discover the legendary history of each pub, often shrouded in mystery and supported by archaeological evidence. Results: Pub Museums gave pubs a tangible way to protect themselves from closure in challenging economic times. These results included a 20% tax cut on building maintenance, an economic evaluation of their cultural heritage collection, protection from being bought out and the addition of the pubs to tourism guides. The launch of the museums led to over 134 hours of audioguides heard, 200K in funding directly to pubs, +30% in footfall in pubs, over 70 Irish media publications, and a submission from the pubs to the Irish Department of Culture to be protected by UNESCO.