WHAT: New beer Heineken® Silver is on a mission to champion what’s real over what’s fake. And you can’t get more fake than a metaverse bar serving digital beers that can’t be drunk. And so, to poke fun at this virtual trend Heineken Silver is opening a real-life metaverse-themed bar in London which is such a faithful recreation that it doesn’t actually serve any beer. In fact, it doesn’t serve any drinks of any kind. But in true Heineken style there’s a twist: where attendees to the IRL META-BAR will gain entry to a very special and extra fresh experience next door that’s absolutely not to be missed.
Recently there has been a rush by food and drink companies to open restaurants and bars in the metaverse. But as fun as a virtual bar might be, you can’t actually drink anything in one. A digital beer doesn’t actually exist.
New extra-refreshing, 4% ABV lager Heineken Silver believes there are just some things that have to be enjoyed for real. To officially mark the launch of the beer, and satirically poke fun at the metaverse food and drink trend, Heineken Silver is opening the doors of an IRL metaverse bar in London – which doesn’t serve any drinks, of any kind.
That’s right: this genuine, real-world pop-up is such a pixel-perfect recreation of a metaverse bar that every guest is guaranteed to come and go without drinking a drop of anything. In fact, the only thing metaverse bar-goers’ will get their hands on are pixelated prop beers.
Staying true to its metaverse origins all of the furniture and décor in the IRL META-BAR has a blocky, pixelated appearance, the staff act like non-playable characters (NPCs) and the bar is sparsely populated. What’s more, to dial-up the absurdity all visitors are required to put on the lowest tech “virtual” reality headsets ever seen.
Of course, in true Heineken style there’s a twist. As reward for spending time in the bar that comes with a no beer guarantee, all visitors will gain access to a very special and extra fresh experience next door celebrating real moments over a beer. Details are being kept under wraps but trust us it’s not one to miss. Entry costs nothing except for the time spent in an ironic metaverse-themed pub truly appreciating how real beats fake.