Chance the Rapper has had it with
companies using racist or racially tinged ads to stir up controversy so they go viral. The latest company to jump on the "hey-this-will-get-people-talking-because-its-racist" bandwagon is Heineken, who
recently released a spot for its Heineken Light beer in which
a bartender slides a beer bottle past three black people before it reaches its intended recipient — a light-skinned woman. The tagline reads: "Sometimes, lighter is better".In a tweet, the rapper accuses the company of purposely putting out "noticeably racist" ads all to get views and likes.
Whether or not you are outraged by the commercial yourself, Heineken must have known what they were doing when they chose the cast for the spot and when they came up with the slogan. Unfortunately, while the brewery might think they are being cheeky by playing with race and controversy, history has taught us it is no laughing matter.
Every day, black and brown people deal with the effects of racism, women fight against the scourge of sexism and the LGBTQ community works for acceptance. It is not ok to use these struggles to sell products. It trivializes very real pain. Please sign this petition and ask Heineken to take down this ad and apologize for making light of a very dark part of our culture.