The beer advertising landscape is typically wall-to-wall men. Which makes the latest offering from Heineken a breath of fresh air.

Grabbing your attention from start to finish, Heineken turns the idea of the “traditional” beer drinker on its head.

How? By showing Heineken beer as the choice of women.

The ad showcases a diverse cast and avoids the “picking up at a bar” cliche. Heineken does well to place women as the focal point of their campaign, while also challenging stereotypes about men and masculinity – showing men lining up for cocktails in trendy bars and cafes.

In truth, it doesn’t matter what gender you are – anyone can drink beer… or a cocktail. What is new and different about this ad is that it upends stereotypes about femininity and masculinity and shows a diversity of people (although they are notably all still young and beautiful).

Heineken is bucking the long-held tradition of excluding women from beer advertising or using sexualised women to support the story of the leading man. In ‘Cheers to All’, women are clearly the leading ladies. For that effort, Heineken deserves a cheer.