Heineken is testing a new WhatsApp bot in Brazil that literally swaps long voice notes for IRL conversations over a beer.. If someone sends you a voice message longer than three minutes, you can forward it to Heineken’s “Could have been a Heineken” number and get a voucher for two free beers, and a recommendation of nearby bars, to allow you to have that catch up in real life rather than via a voice note. The pilot is launching in Brazil, where Meta data shows people send around four times more voice notes than any other country. Heineken says WhatsApp users now send about 9.4 billion voice notes every day, and global research suggests people spend close to 150 hours a year sending and listening to them. The idea is to nudge people away from endless monologue-style voice notes and back into face-to-face conversations, with the free drink as an extra incentive. The offer is only available for users aged 18+ and is currently being trialed in Brazil, with other markets expected to follo...