The oldest pubs in the world are closing down. Rising running costs, higher taxes, and inflation have resulted in the closure of a quarter of pubs in Ireland, with an average of 150 shutting down each year. Heineken’s brand mission is to help people enjoy a richer social life, but the closure of many historic Irish pubs posed a threat to this mission. These closures hindered people from experiencing social life in these culturally rich and historical venues. Therefore, Heineken aimed to protect these iconic cultural institutions for future generations.

To achieve this, Heineken leveraged the Irish Heritage Council's policy, which offers protected status, tax support, and other financial benefits to places of historical significance that are open to the public, such as museums. Heineken transformed historic Irish pubs into virtual museums that people could visit, allowing their rich past to safeguard their future. The brand also developed an online tutorial to teach pub owners across Ireland and beyond how they could also turn their pubs into museums, helping more pubs gain protection.

This initiative, known as "Pub Museums," provided historic Irish pubs with a concrete way to protect themselves from closure during tough economic times. The campaign also generated awareness and support for the movement to have Ireland's historic pubs recognized by UNESCO as protected world heritage sites.

Heineken’s strategy was to use the Irish Heritage Council’s existing framework to grant historic pubs protected status by turning them into virtual museums. The campaign’s core message was “Visit the past to help preserve the future.” The initiative targeted local communities and Irish news media to generate support for individual pubs while also highlighting the broader issue of endangered pubs. Additionally, the campaign reached out to pubs worldwide, providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to protect their own establishments.

The initial virtual Pub Museums experience was launched in selected pubs across Ireland. Beer mats, entry plaques, a press release, a launch video, and tutorials for pub owners were all part of the campaign's rollout. Through augmented reality, objects within the pubs were turned into 3D artifacts complete with audio guides, allowing pubs to begin the process of becoming accredited museums. Customers could start their experience by scanning a QR code at the pub entrance, interact with historical items inside, and enjoy the augmented reality experience. They could even purchase virtual souvenirs to financially support the pubs.

The campaign’s launch event took place at one of Dublin’s oldest pubs, Toners, where special guests and the media experienced the virtual tour firsthand. The initiative was then expanded to other pubs across Ireland, including Sean's Bar in Athlone and Mother Macs in Limerick.

The Pub Museums initiative provided pubs with tangible benefits to protect themselves from closure during challenging economic times. These benefits included a 20% tax cut on building maintenance, an economic evaluation of their cultural heritage collection, protection from being bought out, and inclusion in tourism guides. The launch of the museums also led to over 134 hours of audio guides being heard, over 200,000 Euros in pending funding, and a 30% increase in footfall at the participating pubs. Additionally, Irish pubs submitted a proposal to the Irish Department of Culture to be protected by UNESCO.