Signals

South Korea – Heineken is transforming Seoul’s empty rooftops into vibrant social spaces as part of a new campaign combatting urban loneliness and removing barriers to socialising.

The international brewery’s Rooftop Revival campaign is in response to new research commissioned by Heineken showing that 57% of adults surveyed in South Korea’s major cities feel lonely, with 33% experiencing isolation every week. This figure climbs to 47% among Gen Z and Millennials, underlining the urgency of re-imagining city spaces for connection.

Seoul, where more than half of the residents say the city is designed for productivity rather than connection, was chosen to launch the initiative. Over three days, Seoulites could track red stars beamed down via satellite to discover hidden rooftop venues where K-pop star Dino, artist Cha Inchul, and chef Cho SeoHyeoung hosted intimate performances and workshops, with aerial photographer Tom Hegen documenting the events from above.

Our Social Wellness Market report further unpacks consumer demand for new third spaces for socialising through the lens of health and wellbeing, while Culture-coded Retail and Third Space Retail delve into the benefits for brands in reshaping stores into branded third-space hubs.