Heineken Pulled a Commercial After Chance The Rapper Called it 'Terribly Racist'
Heineken removed a commercial from circulation on Tuesday following criticism that it was racially insensitive.
The most prominent voice speaking about the ad was Chance The Rapper, who called it "terribly racist" in a tweet on Sunday. The commercial showed a bartender sliding a Heineken Light beer through a party past multiple black people, only for it to arrive in front of a lighter skinned woman. The slogan "Sometimes Lighter is Better" appears at the end of the commercial.
Chance The Rapper noted on Twitter that companies are “putting out noticeably racist ads so they can get more views.”
For its part, Heineken apologized in a statement, saying:
"For decades, Heineken has developed diverse marketing that shows there's more that unites us than divides us...While we feel the ad is referencing our Heineken Light beer — we missed the mark, are taking the feedback to heart, and will use this to influence future campaigns."
The Dutch beer company was praised last year for an ad campaign called "Open Your World," which showed diverse groups of people discussing their ideological differences over a beer. The campaign was produced through a partnership with The Human Library™, a non-profit that "seeks to challenge stereotypes by running events where you can talk to real people with extraordinary backgrounds."