Heineken released an ad that featured the slogan "Sometimes, lighter is better," which was interpreted by some consumers as promoting racist and colorist ideas. The ad featured a light-skinned bartender sliding a beer past several people with darker skin tones until it reached a lighter-skinned woman. The ad received significant backlash from the public, including accusations of racism and colorism. Heineken apologized and withdrew the ad, acknowledging that it was insensitive and did not reflect the company's values.

• What were the financial results over the short and long term?
• What were the reputational results