Chicago’s Chance The Rapper is out here proving a small tweets can generate big changes. After getting name-dropped by the rap star for pushing a controversial advertisement, beer company Heineken have pulled the spot and issued a public apology.
This week, Heineken came forward to address its mixed-received “Lighter Is Better” campaign.
“For decades, Heineken has developed diverse marketing that shows there’s more that unites us than divides us,” a spokesperson for Heineken said in an email to NBC News. “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.” (Statement)
In the since-ditched ad, a Heineken beer is passed along to a woman who is lighter skinned than people around her.
In a 30-second ad promoting the beer company’s “Lighter is Better” campaign for its light beer, a bartender slides a bottle of beer past several customers to reach a woman in the distance. As several people online noticed, during the commercial the beer passes by customers who are darker-skinned while the woman who receives the beer in the end is noticeably fairer-skinned. (NBC News)
Over the past few days, Chance has called out Heineken and other companies for intentionally using racist marketing plans.
I think some companies are purposely putting out noticably racist ads so they can get more views. And that shit racist/bogus so I guess I shouldn’t help by posting about it. But 😂 I gotta just say tho. The “sometimes lighter is better” Hienekin commercial is terribly racist omg
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) March 26, 2018
I found that joint 😂😂https://t.co/r4cgSLE8Uz
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) March 26, 2018
Im not saying boucott them or go off im just noticing how often it happens and I think they baiting consumers and tweeters and freelancers and shit. Like I didnt wanna tweet about it so bad 😂😂 but its like how can u not
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) March 26, 2018
You missed the entire point, I was pointing out that alot of these marketing agencies are doing willfully so we overreact and tweet about it, and you write an article and tweet, and we all say their brand name 50 times. Thats the first sentence of my shit. And u didnt mention it https://t.co/qgrNfrfGRX
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) March 26, 2018
Never one to bite his tongue, Chance recently spoke out on the racially-charged Texas bombings.
Someone is serial murdering Black and Latino men and women in Texas right now. One of them was just a boy. Hold your leaders accountable. Even if you aren’t from Texas, your elected officials should be talking about this. #AustinBombings
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) March 20, 2018
Sensitive bitches we’ve become