Heineken pulls 'terribly racist' ad after Chance The Rapper criticism

Beer company Heineken has pulled an ad off television after critics online branded it "terribly racist".

In the 30-second commercial, a bartender slides a bottle of the Dutch beer down a bar, past three black people, before it stops beside a lighter-skinned woman.

The ad finishes with the slogan: "Sometimes lighter is better".

The commercial was noticed by hip-hop star Chance The Rapper, who made a sharp critique on Twitter.

"I think some companies are purposely putting out noticably racist ads so they can get more views.

"And that s--- racist/bogus so I guess I shouldn’t help by posting about it.

"But I gotta just say tho. The 'sometimes lighter is better' Heineken commercial is terribly racist omg."

And while Chance The Rapper stopped short of a boycott, others were not so forgiving.

Heineken quickly pulled the ad.

"For decades, Heineken has developed diverse marketing that shows there’s more that unites us than divides us," a spokesperson said in a statement.

"While we feel the ad is referencing our Heineken Light beer, we missed the mark, are taking the feedback to heart and will use this to influence future campaigns."

Heineken has also pulled other ads from its YouTube page which use the slogan: "Lighter is better".