Heineken, Joe Jonas Stage a Social Media Armageddon

Offline and feeling fine ... unless you're a content creator

An apocalypse is coming for social media and content creators, with Heineken leading the charge.

“Social Off Socials” stars Joe Jonas and a bevy of content creators navigating life in a world where likes and social interactions are tabled for IRL experiences and nights out with friends.

The video from LePub, with support from The Romans and Billion Dollar Boy, follows Jonas moving through a deserted city straight out of the Walking Dead. Abandoned cars, empty streets and—gasp—no one online!

As he belts “What a Wonderful World,” Joe passes famous creators like Dude with Sign, Paul Olima, Sherlina Nyame, Lil Cherry, Jay Beech and Camila Coutinho, all looking for likes, subscribers and destroying their ring lights. There’s even a car … or is it cake? Spoiler alert: It’s cake!

In the end, Jonas spies a Heineken sign and enters a bar and finds some real humans. What a wonderful world, indeed.

“This campaign shows that the most meaningful moments happen when we step away from our devices and engage with those around us,” says Bruno Bertelli, global CEO of LePub. “Who better than those immersed in the digital space to deliver this message in such an impactful way? True connections are made when we’re present, not distracted by our phones.”

Jonas kicked off the event by releasing his new track, “Heart by Heart,” offline. Just like the old days!

“Working with creators—who are by their nature always online—to highlight the solution may seem ironic, but they too realize it’s about balance and were as eager as us to encourage IRL socializing,” adds Nabil Nasser, Heineken’s global head of brands. “So many people feel overwhelmed by the pressure of constant online engagement, so we want to show how easy it can be to take a break from social media.”

Creative launched first in the U.S., with a global rollout over the next six months.