Heineken has found itself on the “mighty real” receiving end of anti-vaxxer vitriol.
The Dutch beer maker is facing threats of a boycott after posting a pro-vaccination advertisement on Twitter, which upset people who refuse to be inoculated against the COVID-19 virus.
The minute-long ad shows a group of elderly individuals dancing in a nightclub and then frolicking in the sea while imbibing the popular, green-bottled beer. A cover of Sylvester’s 1970s disco anthem, “Mighty Real,” is blaring in the background.
The upbeat clip ends with the message: “The night belongs to the vaccinated. Time to join them.”
The pro-vaccination promotion didn’t go over well for those against getting a shot in the arm to stem the spread of the disease that has claimed more than 4 million lives across the world and forced a global lockdown for over a year.
On Friday, the #BoycottHeineken hashtag was trending on Twitter with scores of users denouncing the company for the marketing initiative — one even referring to it as “deranged, disgusting and disturbing vaccine propaganda.”
Some uploaded videos of themselves opening bottles of the brewer’s namesake lager and pouring it down their kitchen sinks in protest.
The ad “celebrates a group of vaccinated seniors who are able to safely get back out to enjoy bars and clubs and socialize again — something we’re all looking forward to,” a Heineken spokesperson told Yahoo Finance UK. “It is all about supporting the hospitality industry and getting back to the bars and restaurants safely so we can all be together again.”
———
