In a world divided by politics, religion or other ideologies, brewing company Heineken does its best to strengthen social bonds between those who have vastly different points of view. The company believes that the first step in making a change is through collaboration. So, last year, Heineken joined forces with Publicis London in an effort to put people with seemingly opposite opinions about life face-to-face and invited them to discuss what makes them who they are.

Under the tagline “Open Your World,” the brand came up with a social experiment called Worlds Apart, which gives strangers a chance to walk away and not give a damn about the other person’s beliefs or just sit down at the same table and talk about their differences that contributed to shaping their strong identity.

This time, the brand flew to the other side of the world to continue its experiment. It landed in India, a country where the generation gap shrouds the bonds between parents and their offspring in silence. In the ex-British colony, parents expect their children to follow the same career path, and when they do otherwise, the kids receive the “silent treatment.”

Pairing with Publicis India, the company launched a new initiative—Generations Apart—a social experiment that aims to spark positive conversations among families whose members are so distant from each other because of their beliefs. Although the same blood runs through their veins, their minds nurture different ideas.

Instead of keeping track of what divides people, the brewery asks everyone to focus and reflect on what brings us together. Through the experiment, the company reunites moms and dads with their daughters and sons by breaking down the invisible barrier that separates them, while shaping new harmonious bonds. To do so, the brand embarked on an admirable mission in which it tapped comedy to raise awareness about this social issue.

The experiment unfolded in a bar where people were enjoying a stand-up show. But little did they know that comedian Rudy Singh‘s performance is actually a memorable life lesson. Using jokes, the humorist speaks about the current issues he has with his old man, who was not that pleased that his son left his engineering career for a job in show business.

Parents want their offspring to become lawyers, doctors, or engineers. But many youths listen to their hearts rather than to their parents’ will and start a career based on creativity. They present themselves as comics, actors, musicians, or dancers. According to the parents, most of these occupations are definitely not a job suited to their kids. “It’s a mistake on our part. Because we let them think independently. So now they are not ready to listen to us,” says a mom who is a pharmacist.

At the end of the show, the comedian reveals that his father is in the audience, so he gets off the stage, grabs two bottles of Heineken, and goes straight to his dad. The audience erupts in applause as the two embrace each other and sit down for a small reunion over a couple of pints.

“Globally, Heineken stands for openness and since this is Heineken’s first big campaign in India, we decided to openly discuss the invisible barriers that hold back millions of young people in this generation,” says Bobby Pawar, Director and CCO of Publicis.

Needless to say, the initiative is worthy of all admiration, only there’s one small detail that kept the experiment away from the red carpet. The comedian’s father featured in the film is not really his dad. “I would have loved it if my dad could have been part of this but he is a little camera shy, so we got someone else to play him. But I’m sure when he sees it, he is going to be very happy,” says Singh in the “behind the scenes” video.

So, what do you think? Did Heineken’s experiment really work? Let us know by sharing your opinion in the comment section below.

Credits:

Client: Heineken

Agency: Publicis India