It all started when Bud Light sent a handful of their beers to a popular transgender influencer named Dylan Mulvaney as a part of a paid sponsorship deal.
To celebrate both March Madness and her first year of womanhood, Mulvaney posted a video of herself dressed like Holly Golightly from the iconic movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which included the cans of beer she was sent on April 1, 2023. As the sponsorship deal required, she promoted a sweepstakes challenge that gave customers the chance to win $15,000 from Bud Light.
Her collaboration with Bud Light left many bewildered. Those upset by the campign were quick to share their frustrations online.
Right-wing American commentator, Ben Shapiro, addressed the collaboration on his show, saying: “Well, folks, our culture has now decided men are women and women are men and you must be forced to consume products that say so.”
The situation quickly became a divisive topic, with musician Kid Rock making his stance clear by shooting cans of the beer, country singer Travis Tritt banning the brand from his tour, and many taking to social media to share their anti-trans sentiments.
Others, however, took the opportunity to support the brand and Mulvaney. Country singer Garth Brooks, for instance, announced that his new bar would serve all beers including Bud Light.
Talking to Billboard, Brooks said: “I want it to be a place you feel safe in, I want it to be a place where you feel like there are manners and people like one another. And yes, we’re going to serve every brand of beer. We just are. It’s not our decision to make. Our thing is this: if you [are let] into this house, love one another. If you’re an a**hole, there are plenty of other places on lower Broadway.”
Similarly, country singer Zach Bryan tweeted: “I just think insulting transgender people is completely wrong because we live in a country where we can all just be who we want to be.”
As for Bud Light’s reaction to all of this, the company has since put two of its marketing executives on leave. These executives were Bud Light’s vice president of marketing, Alissa Heinerscheid, and Daniel Blake, Anheuser-Busch’s vice president, who oversees the market for mainstream brands, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence which we support,” an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson said in the email reported by the media. “Daniel has also decided to take a leave of absence.”
The CEO of Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch, Brendan Whitworth, released a statement on April 14, saying: “We have thousands of partners, millions of fans and a proud history supporting our communities, military, first responders, sports fans and hard-working Americans everywhere.
“We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.”
The CEO added that he is “responsible for ensuring every consumer feels proud of the beer we brew”.
