Dutch beer manufacturer Heineken has pulled an ad for one of its low-calorie products after Chance the Rapper and other people called the spot racist.
In a statement, the company said that the advert had “missed the mark.”
The advert sees a bartender slide a bottle of Heineken Light past several black people before it arrives at a white woman. The 30-second spot concludes with the caption that reads, “Sometimes lighter is better.”
“I think some companies are purposely putting out [sic] noticeably racist ads so they can get more views,” wrote Chance the Rapper in a tweet that attracted over 20,000 likes.
“And that shit racist/bogus so I guess I shouldn’t help by posting about it,” the Chicago-based artist continued. “But I gotta just say tho. The “sometimes lighter is better” [sic] Hieineken commercial is terribly racist omg.”
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
In a statement, the company said that the advert had “missed the mark.”
“For decades, Heineken has developed diverse marketing that shows there’s more that unites us than divides us,” the company said in a statement. “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.”
The mistake may prove costly for the Dutch brewing company, which has previously flaunted its left-wing credentials with an advert advocating a world without borders.
“Here’s to an Open World: To a world without borders or barriers,” the advert read. “To the belief that there’s more that unites us than divides us. To finding common ground. So raise a bottle with the person next to you. Because a stranger is just a friend you haven’t had a cold Heineken with yet. Open your world.”
Heineken is hardly the first company to face accusations of racism with its advertising. Last year, clothing store H&M were forced to apologize after a branded poster promoted a black child model as the “coolest monkey in the jungle.”
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.
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