At this point, we’ve all seen or at least heard of Pepsi’s tone-deaf attempt to make a political ad that spoke to the Black Lives Matter and #Resistance movements happening across the United States. Now Heineken has thrown their hat into the ring with a political ad of their own, except this time they actually get it right.
Instead of tackling the topic of protest, however, the beer company’s ad speaks to the political shifts that have become apparent, with recent events such as Brexit and Donald Trump demonstrating the serious divisions in countries across the world.
Entitled “Worlds Apart,” the ad features three pairs of strangers who meet for the first time without knowing they have opposing views. One pair doesn’t agree about feminism; another has disparate views on climate change. The last pair are a man and a transgender woman who don't agree on the issue of identity.
The three pairs meet in a warehouse, where they are given tasks such as building stools to sit on, answering a Q&A and building their own bar. After completing all of the tasks together ... Actually, just watch the ad below. Then we'll continue.
It feels, more than anything, like a literal interpretation of Obama's words from his farewell address: "If you're tired of arguing with strangers on the Internet, try talking with one of them in real life."
Of course, we're sure there are outtakes where this didn't go exactly according to plan, but as far as commercials go, this is rather effective.
According to Creative Review, this is the first video in a series that will be released in collaboration with The Human Library, a not-for-profit organization that challenges stereotypes through conversations.
So far, the ad has been much better received than the now-infamous Pepsi ad, with people on Twitter praising Heineken for actually getting it right.
Even celebrities like Jane Lynch, Sarah Silverman and SNL star Taran Killam joined in on the praise.
So listen up advertisers — it is possible to create smart, political campaigns that not only aren’t cringeworthy, but actually spark conversation. Let’s keep aiming for that.