The main political problem in post-Brexit UK, as well as post-Trump America, is the depth of our division. People with opposite views believe in their own opinions so vehemently, they’re convinced everyone on the other side is practically from a different species. Making matters worse, these people from opposing sides rarely get to meet each other outside of Twitter @-replies, which are among the most contentious places to be on the planet. In Heineken’s “Worlds Apart” experiment, complete strangers who have been selected for their political opinions, but not told what the experiment entails, are matched up and made to converse.
The brilliance of this social experiment is making the two people build something together first without context. There’s something about figuring non-related things out with strangers that facilitate a conversation. Many of these brand experiments feel contrived leaving me feeling manipulated. This one is completely organic, compelling and on brand. Well played, Heineken.