Heineken has pulled a controversial television advert for its new low-calorie, reduced alcohol, beer amid accusations of racism.
In the clip for the new Heineken Light, a bartender is shown sliding a bottle of beer past three black people before it stops in the hand of a lighter skinned woman. The advert then ends with the tagline "sometimes lighter is better."
US musician Chance the Rapper was among the first to speak out against Heineken, taking to Twitter to brand the advert "horribly racist."
"I think some companies are purposely putting out noticeably racist ads, so they can get more views," he said.
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
Heineken has now moved to pull the advert from broadcast, while the clip has also been removed from the company's official YouTube channel.
The offending clip can be viewed, in full, here:
Heineken has issued an apology over the incident.
"For decades, Heineken has developed diverse marketing that shows there's more that unites us than divides us," a spokesperson for Heineken US said.
"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."
