Recent reports indicate Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch is preparing a temporary redesign of some Budweiser and Bud Light products amid the fallout from the Dylan Mulvaney controversy. The new design for certain beer bottles will feature a camouflage pattern to pay tribute to the “Folds of Honor” charity which financially supports the families of veterans and first responders in need.
This marketing promotion utilizing a camouflage pattern is starkly different than having the face of a transgender activist on a can. The redirection in marketing strategy comes after Bud Light and other brands have experienced a significant decline in sales. Conservative commentator Collin Rugg tweeted about Bud Light sales figures from the end of April, accompanied by a video from a grocery store where no one was buying any Anheuser-Busch products:
Absolutely insane. The Bud Light boycott is working. Bud Light sales (outside of restaurants and bars) are down 26.1% for the week ending in April 22nd compared to the previous year. Sales were down 21.1% for the week prior. Volumes are down 8% for the year. Coors Light and Miller Light are picking up the slack as their volume was up 13.3% percent 13.6% for the same time frame. Go woke go broke.
Absolutely insane. The Bud Light boycott is working.
Bud Light sales (outside of restaurants and bars) are down 26.1% for the week ending in April 22nd compared to the previous year.
Sales were down 21.1% for the week prior.
Volumes are down 8% for the year.
Coors Light and… pic.twitter.com/8lM7Y0MwMT
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 2, 2023
Conservative beer drinkers have also extended the boycott to other brands that fall under the ownership of Anheuser-Busch. The American Tribune reported:
According to the New York Post, nationwide sales of Bud Light declined 23.4 percent year-over-year during the week of April 29. The week prior, sales dropped 21.4 percent versus the prior year. Additionally, those boycotting Bud Light have also quit drinking the various other brands owned by Anheuser-Busch, such as Budweiser and Michelob-Ultra. During the week of April 29, Budweiser sales dropped 11.4 percent, and Michelob-Ultra fell 4.4 percent.
Industry experts have warned that if Anheuser-Busch does not contain this boycott soon, it could have severe implications for the status of the company’s brand reputation and operational success. Anheuser-Busch CEO Michel Doukeris has made recent statements indicating the plan of action moving forward.
According to Doukeris, Bud Light will significantly increase its advertising spend. “We are investing behind Bud Light tripling our need investment for the summer, and we are investing more together with our wholesalers in our local markets,” Doukeris said. “Just last week, Bud Light was on the stage at the NFL Draft. We released a new TV commercial that continues our campaign. The current campaign is easy to drink, easy to enjoy.”
Doukeris also tried to downplay the relationship between Mulvaney and Bud Light, saying, “We need to continue to clarify the fact that this was one can, one influencer and one post and not a campaign… As we move forward, we have adjusted and streamlined our marketing structure so the most senior marketeers are more closely connected to every aspect of our brands.”
The Daily Mail reported on the origins of the Dylan Mulvaney controversy:
The conservative backlash against Bud Light began on April 1, when transgender influencer Mulvaney posted a video of herself cracking open a Bud Light on her Instagram page.
She showed off a can with her face on it that Bud Light sent her – one of many corporate freebies she gets and shares with her millions of followers through brand partnerships.
Three days after Mulvaney’s post, musician Kid Rock posted a video of himself shooting cases of Bud Light, and several country music stars publicly denounced the brand, accusing Anheuser-Busch of wading into political and cultural issues.
"*" indicates required fields