Heineken Pulls Ad After Chance The Rapper Calls It Racist

Heineken has pulled a TV commercial for its light beer after Chance the Rapper called the ad "terribly racist" on Twitter over the weekend. In a statement, the Dutch beer company said it's "the taking the feedback to heart" and that it "missed the mark" with its "lighter is better" commercial.

In the 30-second spot, a white bartender is seen sliding a bottle of Heineken Light beer across a bar. The bottle passes several black men and women with dark complexion before finally reaching its destination: a woman with a light complexion. The commercial then gives its tag line, "Sometimes, lighter is better."

Chance called out the ad in a tweet Sunday that also accused other companies of intentionally using racist commercials.

"I think some companies are purposely putting out noticably racist ads so they can get more views," the Grammy-winning rap artist from Chicago's South Side wrote. "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 [sic] commercial is terribly racist omg."

He added that he didn't think people should boycott Heineken, but he thought it was important to recognize what was being done. According to Chance, companies are "baiting consumers."

"Like I didnt wanna tweet about it so bad but its like how can u not," he wrote.

Last year, Heineken was lauded for its "Open Your World" ads featuring people with contrasting backgrounds and opinions talking to each other. But this week, the beer maker was apologetic for its perceived promotional misstep.

"For decades, Heineken has developed a positive track record for creating 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, and that light beer is better than other high-calorie options—we missed the mark, are taking the feedback to heart and will use this to influence future campaigns."

YOUR TURN: What do you think about Heineken's light beer commercial? Was the beer maker right in pulling the 30-second spot? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.

Chance the Rapper photo by Marcelo Hernandez | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images; inset Heineken photo via Shutterstock