Heineken's Social Experiment Unites Divided People

Would you kiss a Tory? Share a beer with a Trump supporter? Break bread with a Brexit campaigner? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then you might benefit from watching Worlds Apart, a social experiment spot by Publicis London and RSA for Heineken.

For this video, directed by Toby Dye, the agency had people with opposing views meet in a room as strangers, and got them to perform tasks and answer questions. In the video, three such couples are shown meeting; a feminist and a men's rights supporter, a climate change denier and believer, and a transwoman and man who believes "you're a man, be a man."

As anyone who's ever seen a social experiment video is expecting, after these activities there is a twist. The participants are shown a video of their partner for the experiment discussing their views, and are given a choice; you can either leave, or discuss your differences over a beer. Seeing as this is a beer commercial, they choose the latter, proving one thing - whatever side of the fence you're on, the world's in such a mess that you might as well have a beer and get on with it, hopefully learning something about someone else while doing it.

This video is the beginning of a series of content created by Publicis based on Heinken's brief to 'establish that Heineken is a brand that stands for openness in a world that feels like its closing down.' Other project due to be launched include a Facebook Chatbot that recreates the experiment in the virtual world with people from across the world.

This is also being accompanied by The Human Library, an experiential version of the campaign touring the UK that turns, according to Heineken will 'offer... the chance to meet some of the organisation’s ‘books,’ sharing stories, exchanging views and discovering what unites them'.

Click here to see another fantastic recent campaign for Heineken by Publicis.