Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light continue to face severe cultural backlash since the brand’s marketing partnership with Dylan Mulvaney was announced, particularly from conservatives that have kept up with the situation.
As a result, companies and individuals that typically appeal to red staters and conservatives are taking full advantage to boost their own popularity. Yuengling, for example, has capitalized on Bud Light’s miscalculation to present itself a more American beer with a red state vibe:
Yuengling, The Oldest Brewery In America. Independently Owned and Family Operated since 1829 because we make good beer. pic.twitter.com/5TdmGiUc5R
— Yuengling Brewery (@yuenglingbeer) April 14, 2023
Joining that counter-signaling was country music star Riley Green, who decided to swap “Bud Light” with “Coors Light” in his hit song “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” much to the joy of the crowd. Watch that here:
“When @RileyGreenMusic sang his hit song “I Wish Grandpa’s Never Died” last night, he changed the lyrics a bit. The new line is “and coolers never ran out of cold Coors Light” instead of Bud Light. The crowd goes nuts”
When @RileyGreenMusic sang his hit song “I Wish Grandpa’s Never Died” last night, he changed the lyrics a bit
The new line is “and coolers never ran out of cold Coors Light” instead of Bud Light
The crowd goes nuts
pic.twitter.com/4sDkqQ5pAH— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) April 15, 2023
The change was more symbolic than a change to an actually patriotic or conservative brand. While Coors Light didn’t hire Dylan Mulvaney, it has participated in gay pride events and advertising, as one commenter pointed out:
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I wonder what he’s going to change it to next??? pic.twitter.com/RlzmVOOki1
— Cork You Wine Club (@CorkYou) April 15, 2023
In any case, the Riley Greene song lyric change comes shortly after Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth released a lengthy non-apology in which he attempted to get red staters to buy his company’s products again without infuriating the left, saying, “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people,” after having intentionally done exactly that.
And Greene wasn’t the only country star to attack Bud Light. John Rich of “Big and Rich” did as well, appearing on Tucker to say that, while it used to be a favorite at his bar, “Redneck Riviera,” they’ve since stopped ordering it. In his words:
“I think the customers decide. Customers are king. Our number one selling beer up until a few days ago was, guess what? Bud Light. That was the number one beer. We got cases and cases and cases of it sitting back there.”
Continuing, Rich said, “But in the past several days, you’re hard-pressed to find anyone ordering one. So as a business owner, I go, ‘Hey, if you aren’t ordering it, we got to put something else in here.’ At the end of the day, that’s capitalism. Right, Tucker? That’s how it works.”
He then added, “It’s their right to market it however they want,. They’re making a bet [that] this is going to sell more product… And what’s happening, Tucker, is people that have been loyal to brands for decades and decades are finding it hard to stay loyal to them, so they start hunting down other brands that they can go and support. And [there are] tons of up-and-coming American brands out there that people are flooding to, kind of like mine.”
The Bud Light situation has been a major drag on Anheuser Busch’s fortunes, dragging the company’s stock and sales down dramatically as consumers ditch Bud Light for better beer that isn’t pushing wokeness on them with its ads.