Heineken pulls ad many called ‘terribly racist’
The meaning behind the beer maker’s recent commercial sparked a heated debate online, and the company said it ‘missed the mark.’
Controversy can get your organization in headlines—but it can also send your PR team scrambling for a response.
Heineken recently experienced this after its newest commercial drew a backlash.
In the 30-second advertisement, a bartender slides a bottle of Heineken Light towards a woman. The beer passes several men and women of color before reaching her and then the statement “Sometimes Lighter is Better” appears.
Watch this Heineken commercial where a fair-skinned bartender slides a beer past 3 dark-skinned Black folks (2 women 1 man) to a racially ambiguous fair-skinned woman, and when the drink reaches its desired destination, the words “sometimes ligher is better” pops up on the screen pic.twitter.com/ExIuqN6wOi
— LEFTð´ (@LeftSentThis) March 26, 2018
The PR headache for the beer maker grew after Chance the Rapper tweeted the following:
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today
Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.
