Heineken Collabs With Park Hyung Sik To Foster Work-Life Balance & Help ‘Resurrect’ Your Social Life

By Lara Lindemann  •  18 Apr 2023 in Features

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Let’s face it – the hustle is important, but how much should it be eating into your social life? While you’re out there getting that bread and cancelling fun plans, your friends are probably making a group chat without you or adding that little ghost emoji to your contact name.

We’re not even being dramatic; according to the latest YouGov survey commissioned by HEINEKEN®, work has been found to be the biggest friend killer since the invention of the significant other.

Yup, forget about being a backstabber or boyfriend-stealer. Those suck, but flaking on your friends and ‘ghosting’ them is hardly advisable too.

Employees in Malaysia in particular have found it extremely difficult to maintain a social life outside of work due to the pressure to put in longer hours and be available round-the-clock. But have no fear, for South Korean actor Park Hyung Sik is here to help. He has partnered with HEINEKEN® to introduce their new Work Responsibly campaign, which seeks to combat Malaysia’s all-too-common overworking culture.

You may be wondering what the campaign is all about. Don’t be a ghost- that’s all there is to it, really. No, we’re not referring to Casper or Halloween here. We’re referring to the kind of ghosting that occurs when you neglect your buddies because you’re preoccupied at work.

A staggering 41% of workers in Malaysia have reportedly done this in the past, according to a YouGov survey. That many lonely Friday nights seems excessive…

To emphasise the point, Park Hyung Sik recently posted a creepy video on Instagram depicting some unsettling paranormal activity in a pub, including beer bottles moving by themselves and chairs sliding across the floor.

But relax – it’s not a scary film. The idea behind the film is to illustrate how your friend who is trapped at work is like a ghost at the bar, and nobody is interested in hanging out with a ghost, are they? (Well, at least not at the bar).

Watch it here:

The issue of overworking, however, is not limited to Malaysia. In actuality, it’s a significant problem for the entire APAC region. Employers have made an effort to address this by providing flexible scheduling options, mental health days, and extended annual leave. However, it appears that these steps are insufficient to stop workers from feeling burned out and disregarding their interpersonal relationships.

Are you personally tired of being a workaholic and missing out on all the fun? Fret not, Heineken’s here for you.

In keeping with their Work Responsibly campaign, Heineken is introducing a new initiative called “Ghosted Bar.” The campaign’s goal is to motivate Malaysians to prioritise their social lives and leave work on time. Heineken will hold a total of 40 activations (with that many, you won’t have any excuses not to show up and have a good time) throughout the Penang, Ipoh, Klang Valley, and Johor regions on weekdays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. between May 9 and May 31.

Heineken has also developed an online Ghost Generator where Malaysians can customise a GIF on Mobile to persuade their friends to leave work on time and join them at the bar in order to further promote the campaign. Because let’s be real, life’s too short to be stuck in the office all day. Interested parties can sign up for the Ghosted Bar activations and learn more about the campaign on the same website.

Register now and treat yourself to a good time – because when you’re sipping on a cold Heineken with your friends, nothing else matters!

Remember to drink responsibly though, else you might turn into a real ghost at work the next day, and we don’t have a campaign for that just yet.

If you drink, don’t drive. For non-Muslims, aged 21+ only.