Pepsi and Heineken ads both originate from a bubble

by Nigel Hollis

I am sure you heard about all the furor over the Pepsi’s Kendall Jenner ‘protest’ ad.  And then, as if to rub salt in the self-inflicted wounds, along comes Heineken’s “Worlds Apart” experiment which is receiving accolades left, right and center…but would it in the real world?

No, I am not suggesting that Heineken’s “Worlds Apart” is a bad ad. What I am suggesting is that both that and the Pepsi ad originate from inside the marketing and ad agency bubble and much of the criticism and praise leveled at them does too. Both are reflective of a particular mindset and so too is the discussion about them. I applaud the sentiment behind “Worlds Apart” but cannot help but wonder how many beer drinkers would prefer to ogle Kendall Jenner than watch people forced to come to terms with their own biases.

From my perspective Pepsi’s ad is a classic TV ad. Yes, it lacks any authenticity and is blatantly designed to tap into a contemporary issue and associate the brand with a positive idea. Failing to have a compelling reason to exist the ad enlists the help of a celebrity in order to garner attention and buzz. This is old school marketing. The type that used to work pretty well even when the ad did not resonate with the target audience because people were forced to watch on a repeated basis and eventually the idea stuck in their heads. Whether it motivated anyone was another matter.

However, as we all know, things are different now. Cord cutting, ad blocking and social media have changed the game. People can avoid seeing your ads and when they talk back they are heard. Old school marketing can still work provided the execution resonates and the media plan is good enough, but there is a new school in town exemplified by Heineken’s “Worlds Apart” experiment. For a start, it is an experiment, right, not an ad. It uses regular people not celebrities, even if they are carefully selected and the experiment architected to achieve a specific result.

The new school of marketing has been around for some time: Dove Sketches, Always Like a Girl, Brooke Bond’s Six Pack Band. By creating an experiment that highlights an injustice or societal tension and then carefully curating the result the makers seek to evoke an emotional response in what they regard as a positive direction. With suitable media support to seed the campaign the digital incarnation of the campaign then boosts the campaign’s reach and impact through seeking and sharing. It is an approach that is certainly likely to find favor with award judges.

The risk is always that the cause will overtake the brand when it comes to people’s memories, which is a criticism that might be leveled at “Worlds Apart”. Yes, discussing our differences over a beer is a thing but why Heineken? I guess this is where first mover advantage and repetition come into play. But what do you think? Do videos like these need a bit of a reality check or is it good enough that they seek to do good? Please share your thoughts.