Friend pasted one million dollars’ worth of posters for its AI necklace ‘loyal friend’. New Yorkers push back at the marker: ‘Big Brother around the neck’, ‘Loneliness at $99’.
Heineken counter-attacks with perfect timing. Same visuals, same pendant… except that it’s a bottle opener. ‘The best way to make a friend is around a beer.’
Bryant Park bursts into flames. Joe Jonas toasts with strangers. Dude With Sign brandishes ‘Real friends don’t require a USB charger’. #SocialOffSocials explodes.
The juiciest bit? The founder of Friend himself shows up at anti-Friend protests, all smiles. The controversy becomes a happening, the bad buzz turns into marketing gold.
Why this advertising battle is brilliant:
Agility beats planning — Heineken surfs the hot news with rare spontaneity for a behemoth.
Humor disarms tech-anxiety — no sermon, just a bottle opener and a wink.
The street becomes a stage again — in our hyper-digital world, it’s the sidewalk that creates the buzz.
This duel proves that in 2025, brands that dare quick wit and self-deprecation leave a mark. Especially with a good bottle opener.
Discover the campaign: https://observer.com/2025/10/heineken-replace-ai-companionship-beer/
Can your brand turn a controversy into a cultural moment?
#ViralMarketing #CreativeAdvertising #BeerOverBots #NewYork