As most people recall, Pepsi released a commercial not too long ago, starring Kendall Jenner, who single-handedly ended police brutality by offering a cool, refreshing soda to a police officer at what appeared to be a protest of some sort in the city. Who knew it could be done so simply? Newsflash: it can’t. Pepsi received quite the backlash after airing this advertisement for its tone-deaf, rose-y colored portrayal of serious issues in today’s society. After seeing this commercial, I couldn’t help but wonder to myself how something like that could’ve made it all the way to actual television without anyone throwing up a red flag. I guess some things will be left a mystery though.
In the past few years, it seems as though lots of companies and brands have completely missed the mark when it comes to promoting their products, from Nivea’s “white is purity” image to Bud Light’s rape-y slogan on its cans. Can anyone get it right? The answer is yes. Recently the beer brand Heineken, released a commercial, though a little long to be called a commercial, demonstrating how it’s possible to like and converse with people who differ in beliefs and ideas from your own, and how there’s…get this…even a way to go about discussing your differences that doesn’t necessitate stubbornness or hatred between parties.
The general gist of the commercial begins with real-life people, who at the beginning make a few brief statements about their beliefs regarding topics such as feminism, transgenderism, and climate change. These people are then paired up based on their differing views, albeit unknowing of the differences that exist between them. To them, this is just another random person brought in for the commercial. They are then tasked with building stools and what turns out to be a bar—the first point at which beer, what the commercial is for, is even hinted at, all the while getting to know one another via conversations about their own characteristics, histories, backgrounds and more.
It is only at the very end, once all the building is complete and the beers sitting patiently on the bar, that the clips from the beginning are revealed to the partners, exposing the differences that exist—and have been present this entire time—between the two people. They are then given the ultimatum: they can leave or choose to stay and discuss their differences over cool, refreshing Heineken. All pairs choose the latter and the commercial ends with the couples acknowledging one another’s views and engaging in further conversation.
Although much longer than your typical 30 second TV ad, the commercial obviously exaggerates the simplicity of the matter and how easy it is to come to an agreement over topics such as those mentioned. The mini show (in essence) does a fantastic job at promoting tolerance and a willingness to hear out one another. It runs on the platform that “there is more that unites us than divides us” and speaks to the idea that though we may be "Worlds Apart", the commercial’s suiting title, there is a potential to bridge political and social gaps.
Acknowledging our differences with those around us and being able to have level-headed, open-minded discussions about our opinions and why we feel the way we feel is just the beginning of what is surely a long and sometimes difficult process. But in doing so, that cool refreshing beverage is no more than an accessory to it all at the very most, not the solution itself. This is where Pepsi misses the mark, and Heineken hits it.
