We are never as open as we think we are. We look for views that correspond and reinforce our own, fuelling our preconceptions for the kind of people we’ll like, and those we won’t.

These pre-conceptions are the enemy – they stop us looking for what unites us and they shut us down from each other.

Our idea was to prove, with real people and real conversations, that there is more that unites us than divides us and that despite our difference we can always find something that connects us.

And when we do, we open our minds and open our world.

Beyond the Worlds Apart film we will be taking this into real life via internal events at Heineken, getting colleagues to find common ground by mixing with people they wouldn’t normally, to external customer events – proving our idea in real life with the Human Library partnership.

Our strategy was designed to generate maximum conversation by targeting news media and opinion-formers who would share across social.

First, we scientifically validated that common ground leads you to being more open, partnering with Goldsmiths University. We hosted an intimate press event to premiere the film, inviting media to challenge their own prejudices by engaging in a live Human Library event, recreating the experience shown in the film. Released a series of exclusives with the Evening Standard, Telegraph, Fast Company and Independent that provided the catalyst for a groundswell of conversation. Targeted influential voices across the Twitterscape to increase the visibility and talkability. Over 8 consecutive days we generated 13 million organic views before paid media was turned on.

Next we will be hosting a series of employee and consumer Human Library events across the UK, including Wilderness Festival, challenging people to step out of their echo chambers for real.

Widespread global engagement across 150 countries

725+ online news mentions with nearly all coverage being very positive.

Trending topic on Twitter - 22,000 social media mentions with the sentiment being overwhelmingly positive (87%).

A number of celebrities took to Twitter to praise the campaign including, Perez Hilton, Piers Morgan, Sarah Silverstone, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Saunders and Trevor Donovan.

Made front page on Twitter

No 1 ad on YouTube in April

Generated 324,000 engagements, 138,000 shares

500 colleagues participated in the mix-it-up sessions, pledging to meet with someone they wouldn't normally to find common ground

Note: Because the campaign launched in April we do not yet have the customer or business data – which is published quarterly (end of June 2017)