Win Heineken · 2017
The answer to the Pepsi ad, three weeks later
🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇺🇸 United States
What happened
Heineken filmed strangers with opposing views on climate change, gender and feminism building furniture together before their views were revealed, then offered them the choice to leave or discuss it over a beer.
Why it worked
It made the product the setting for a conversation instead of the solution to a conflict, used real people rather than a model, and let the disagreement stay real.
The rule
A brand can host a difficult conversation. It cannot resolve one.
Takeaway
The difference between this and the Pepsi ad is one word: hosting, not fixing.