Heineken ad proves beer and politics can mix

KENDALL Jenner’s Pepsi ad was an unmitigated disaster. Now a different company, Heineken, has shown everyone the right way to do it.

OPINION

RECENT events would make you think drinks and politics don’t mix.

First there was the “Keeping it Light” video, showing two Liberal MPs discussing same-sex marriage over Coopers beer, which was a public relations disaster.

Second was Kendall Jenner’s widely-criticised Pepsi ad, which showed her entering a protest of miscellaneous minorities and giving a police officer a drink.

In light of all that, beer manufacturer Heineken could have shied away from making a political video of their own. Instead, they schooled us on how it should have been done.

The video is called “Worlds Apart: An Experiment” and it features six characters with opposing views on feminism, climate change, and LGBTIQ rights.

Here’s an example:

“Feminism today is man hating,” says one. “Women do need to remember that we need you to have our children.”

“I would describe myself as a feminist 100 per cent,” says another. “Could I be friends with someone that say that a woman’s place is in the home?”

It doesn’t take a genius to guess where it’s heading.

He’s right-wing, she’s left-wing, and they’re about to discuss feminism.

They’re paired up and invited to break the ice by working together to build a flatpack bar, before doing a Q & A to figure out who they are and what they have in common.

Naturally, in the space of a the video, each pair becomes besties — especially when they’re asked to say nice things about each other.

“You seem quite ambitious and positive and you’ve got this really, um ... you’ve got a glow, do you know what I’m saying, your aura is pretty cool,” says one.

“We know each other better than people who’ve known each other for 10 minutes should,” says another.

Naww. If that doesn’t give you all the feels, it’s hard to say what will.

You get all the feels when he realises the woman beside him is transgender.

It all comes to a head when they’re invited to stand and watch a video of their partners talking about their views.

“So transgender, it’s very odd. We’re not set up to understand or see things like that,” one man says.

“I am a daughter, a wife, I am transgender,” the woman beside him reveals.

Each person is then invited to go, or stay and discuss their differences over a beer.

The man storms out of the room as the woman sits down, shocked.

“I’m only joking,” he says as he comes back and cracks open a stubby.

“At the end of the day, mate, I’ve enjoyed working with you.”

The thing that distinguishes Heineken’s video is its sensitivity.

First, the characters are have real personalities, and their interactions are relatable. Second, it doesn’t make light of the issues that are being discussed.

For example, the Bible Society video featuring Coopers was slammed for using two middle-aged white men to discuss an issue affecting a diverse group of Australians.

Many also took offence to the idea of “Keeping it Light”, given the prevalence of mental health issues and suicide troubling the LGBTIQ community.

Diversity wasn’t an issue for Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi ad, but many were outraged over perception that police brutality could be solved with a simple can of soft drink.

This is the ad they should have made instead.

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