In Belgium, just like in many other countries, because of the forced closure early March 2020, bars and restaurants were forced to close for numerous months due to government restrictions. For the majority of bars and restaurants, so often a cornerstone of the community, their precarious financial position means that a return to trading may become impossible. FEDCAF - the Federation of Belgian Bars – even states that in the country with the highest number of bars per inhabitant (Belgium) over 50% will not survive the Corona crisis. 

So, now more than ever consumers can seize the moment to dig deep and support small businesses through and after lockdown. This is particularly true for the hospitality industry where, even after the ability to reopen, social distancing measures will drastically impact the ability of companies to turn a profit.

With bars and restaurants re-opening, FedCaf (the Federation of Belgian Bars) introduced a brutally simple idea and a lifeline to help bars to keep their head above the water: Helpy Hour. Helpy Hour, that’s happy hour, but the other way around. So, instead of two drinks for the price of one, this is one drink for the price of two. A simple act of generosity and solidarity to encourage the community to help bars and restaurants to get back on their feet.  To be clear: Helpy Hour is any hour you want it to be, and it’s up to the customer to decide whether yes or no they want to pay double for a single drink. Helpy Hour underlines the power of community support in times of crisis.

75% of all Belgian bars (Belgium is the country with most bars per inhabitant) participated. Within 12 hours the entire Belgian press covered the idea and became a #1 topic on all social platforms. But that was only the start. Within 24h Helpy Hour made the news in over 100 countries. Resulting in 3.5 billion media impressions and over 8 million euros of earned media. And all this with an investment of… 2.500 Euro.