Best of 2017 TV/Film--No. 8: Heineken Unites Strangers With Clashing Beliefs in a 'Social Experiment'

Three Very Different Pairs Build a Bar, and Have a Beer, Together

Published On
Apr 20, 2017

Editor's Pick

Through New Year's, we'll be counting down the best work of the year in TV/Film/Branded Content, Print/Outdoor/Design and Interactive/Integrated (IX) as our picks of the day.

At No. 8 in the TV/Film/Branded Content category is Heineken's "Worlds Apart," a social "experiment" created out of Publicis that showed how people with vastly differing points of view (a feminist and an anti-feminist, a right-wing man and transgender woman) can actually bond after they're given a simple task that requires them to work together--assembling flat pack furniture. While some might argue the idea feels a bit forced, it hit a cultural touchpoint in a year that's been marked by extreme divisiveness -- one that gave new dimension to the brand's ongoing "Open Your World" campaign.

Heineken brings together strangers with directly opposing beliefs and points of view and gets them to build a bar together in a "social experiment" designed to overcome barriers in an overly polarized world.

The film, directed by Toby Dye of RSA for Publicis London, sees three pairs team up; a climate-change denier with an environmental activitist, a transgender woman and a right-wing guy who thinks it's "wrong," a feminist and an anti-feminist. They're challenged with assembling some flat pack furniture and then a bar, as well as discussing each other's personalities (but not beliefs specifically).

It's only after they've worked together are they shown a film of the other person discussing their beliefs. They are then given the choice either to walk away or sit down and have a beer with the other person. Their reactions and expressions seem authentic -- and in a world where we're told we're all existing in social media echochambers, the film shows the power of actually connecting with people in person as opposed to trolling them online.

As part of the project, which forms part of Heineken's ongoing "Open Your World" campaign, Heineken is also partnering with The Human Library, a not-for-profit organization that uses conversation to challenge stereotypes. It's also launched a Facebook Chatbot that connects unexpectedly like-minded people from diverse backgrounds, and will hold internal "Mix It Up" sessions, where Heineken staff from its offices and breweries across the UK will be encouraged to spend time over a sandwich or beer with people in the organization they haven't met before.

Credits

Date
Apr 20, 2017
Brand :
Heineken
Client :
Heineken
Agency :
Publicis-London
PR Agency :
Edelman
Global Chief Creative Officer :
Bruno Bertelli
Executive Creative Director :
Dave Monk
Executive Creative Director :
Cristiana Boccassini
Global Digital Creative Director :
Milos Obradovic
Creative Director :
Marcus Iles
Creative :
Seb Howling
Creative :
Dom Desmond
Creative :
Mark Daw
Creative :
Rudhraigh McGrath
Account Team :
Trent Patterson
Account Team :
David Pagnoni
Account Team :
Derek Muller
Account Team :
Katherine Thompson
Account Team :
Elzabe Buys
Creative Planner :
Sol Ghafoor
Creative Planner :
James Moore
Creative Planner :
Chris Turner
Head of Production :
Colin Hickson
Project Management :
Kym Adams
Project Management :
Michael Fitzgerald
Design Team :
Andy Breese
Design Team :
Teju Sanusi
Design Team :
Elisa Fuentes
Chatbot Partner :
Twyla
Media Agency :
Spark Foundry
Production Company :
RSA Films
Director :
Toby Dye
Editor :
Julian Eguiguren
Producer :
Ben Porter
Post Production Company :
MPC

Need a credit fix? Contact the Creativity Editors

Project Type
Tags