This post first appeared on Business Insider.
A funny/sad thing about mainstream beer advertising is that even though big brands are losing market share to craft beers and flavored liquors, most of them still insist on advertising their products as being only suitable for men.
It’s a curious business strategy. Why tell an entire one half of the world’s population not to buy your product? If a beer was advertised as enjoyable to both sexes, would men stop drinking it?
I suppose we will have to ask Heineken, which just rolled out a tasteless ad campaign in Brazil.
To celebrate Saturday’s European championship soccer game between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, Heineken is partnering with the Brazilian shoe store Shoestock to give women 50 percent off during the game. This way, Heineken reasons, it can help men keep their nagging wives away so they can watch the game in peace.
The campaign, carried out by ad agency Wieden+Kennedy São Paulo, would work great in a world where the women of Brazil all hate soccer and the men walk around barefoot all day.
Alas, Shoestock offers a fine selection of men’s shoes, and women made up the majority of Brazil’s viewers during the 2010 World Cup.
Adweek reports that Heineken issued a press release assuring the public that the shoe sale is “entirely good-natured and will generate conversation.”
“The idea is to help guarantee men time to watch the game on Saturday afternoon,” added Wieden+Kennedy creative director Otavio Schiavon. “So we’re going to provide an argument that will make it so their wives or girlfriends have something interesting to do during the game. He’s going to surprise her with news about a shoe sale. And she, in turn, can leave him to watch the UEFA Champions League final.”
We’ve reached out to Wieden+Kennedy’s São Paulo office to ask about the thinking behind the shoe sale and will let you know if we hear back.
Here’s the video (in Portuguese) Heineken put on its YouTube page announcing the sale:
See Also: The Problem With Urban Outfitters
