HEINEKEN | Gender Violence | 2017
The Beer Brand That Sold Masculinity Rewrote What Being a Man Means / Tecate(Heineken) "Gender Violence"
A beer commercial lines up all the classic symbols of "manliness" — muscles, boxing, welding — then suddenly declares that how a man treats women is what truly defines him. And it's coming from a brand that's called itself "the beer for men" since 1944.
The problem
Mexico has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world, and much of it is said to be rooted in beliefs about what it means to be a man. Tecate had long been sold as "the beer for men."
The insight
The very brand built on that stereotype chose to recognize its danger and rewrite the definition of masculinity. Because it's the brand that sold masculinity in the first place doing the talking, the message carries real weight.
The idea
The commercial opens with images of tough men boxing, welding, and a narration celebrating manliness. Then, partway through, it shifts: "A man is defined by how he treats women." The footage cuts to women who are survivors of domestic violence, as the brand declares that a man who hurts women isn't a real man — and that it doesn't want customers like that.
What happened
Through a partnership with the NGO Red Nacional de Refugios and spread on social media, the campaign reportedly boosted the brand's awareness and favorability while driving 13.4% sales growth. It won a Gold Lion in the Glass category at Cannes Lions in 2017, praised for flipping the usual masculine clichés of beer advertising on their head.
Afterthought
A company that had always called itself "the beer for men" chose to actively filter its own customers — refusing anyone who hurts women. It was the moment the brand's old banner of "masculinity" got rewritten, from an excuse for violence into a strength rooted in respect. Easy to say, but truly hard to do.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2017
