AMAC Exclusive – By Shane Harris
In the clearest sign yet of just how hard the Bud Light boycott is hitting the beer giant, Anheuser-Busch global CEO Michel Doukeris unequivocally disowned the brand’s partnership with controversial TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a letter to retailers last week. In an era where woke ideology dominates the corporate world, the letter – along with tumbling sales figures – is a striking example of conservative-led backlash forcing a multi-billion-dollar company to retreat from left-wing social politics.
“Anheuser-Busch did not intend to create a controversy or make a political statement,” a clearly exasperated Doukeris wrote. “In reality, the Bud Light can posted by a social media influencer that sparked all the conversation was provided by an outside agency without Anheuser-Busch management awareness or approval.”
Bud Light first ignited uproar in early April when Mulvaney, a man who identifies as a woman and boasts millions of social media followers, posted a video advertising the beer that featured custom cans with his face on it.
Mulvaney’s post was also tagged with “#budlightpartner” – casting immediate skepticism on Doukeris’s claim that Anheuser-Busch leadership was not aware of the partnership. A spokesperson for the company also explicitly stated just two days after Mulvaney posted the video that the company produced the can for him, saying, “Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands… This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.”
Regardless, if the dramatic drop in Bud Light sales is any indication, Doukeris’s explanation may be too little too late for the brand that has for years been the best-selling beer in America.
Beer Business Daily reported last week that Bud Light’s sales in supermarkets, gas stations, and convenience stores were down 26 percent for the week ended April 22 vs. the same week a year earlier. That decline followed a 17 percent decline for the week ended April 15 vs. a year ago.
Sales at bars and restaurants were equally dismal. After bartenders poured 15 percent more Bud Light than any other brand from March 18 to April 1 – the two weeks before the controversy began – they poured 6 percent less Bud Light than other brands from April 2 to April 15, according to BeerBoard, a company that tracks beer flows. Beer-focused newsletter Insights Express called that decrease “staggering.”
Viral videos showing beer aisles at grocery stores fully stocked with Bud Light but empty of other brands are further evidence of the backlash. One social media user posted a video late last week that appeared to show no one in line at Bud Light stands at Fenway Park in Boston, even as other concession stands had long lines. Stew Leonard’s, a regional grocery chain with eight stores in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, has reported a 50 percent decline in Bud Light sales.
Meanwhile, sales of competitor brands have soared. Coors Light and Miller Lite sales were up 18 percent for the third week of April.
Those dismal numbers have led to some major shakeups at Bud Light. The company announced on April 23 that Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s vice president of marketing, and her boss Daniel Blake, who oversaw marketing for Anheuser-Busch’s mainstream brands, were both taking leaves of absence. Insiders at the company reported that their decisions to leave were not voluntary.
Heinerscheid in particular became a toxic figure for Bud Light after an interview clip of the executive from March surfaced showing her openly disparaging Bud Light drinkers. “Bud Light had been kind of a brand of fratty, kind of out of touch humor,” she said. “It was really important that we had another approach.”
In an apparent attempt to win back its disaffected drinkers, the brand launched a new ad during the NFL draft that featured a heavy country-blue-collar theme, with individuals in western wear drinking Bud Light outside in the rain at a rodeo, all set to the song “Country Fried” by the Zac Brown Band. But social media users were quick to blast the spot as a transparent and cynical attempt to pander to the audience Bud Light had alienated, leading the company to turn off comments on its posts sharing the video.
It appears, however, that the ad will hardly be the last effort by Bud Light to make amends with consumers. Last week, the company also announced it will triple its ad spending for the summer, in addition to giving away free beer to its distributors – another sign that the boycott has had its intended effect.
A full account of just how much Bud Light’s business has tanked will not be available until the company releases its earnings report for the second quarter, likely sometime in early July. Yet no matter what the numbers are, conservatives have proven that the battle for the culture is not yet lost, and corporate wokeism is far from invincible.
Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio.
I forgot how good Pabst Blue Ribbon is until Bud turned into Tranny Fluid.
So these executives that run these companies get a couple of hours of race theory training and decide to make these changes to companies that have been built by smart older Americans that had values, remember the wars that we have come through, and who got us through them. They remind me of present gov’t workers. Being led like pigs on a rope.
Just how stupid does this clown think we are? This didn’t happen in a vacuum. There had to have been a whole bunch of people involved in this from the get-go. Anyone who buys this guy’s shtick is as big an idiot as he is.
Full disclosure: I’ve got no skin in the game here. I’ve already been boycotting AB-InBev products for years.
Hopefully, as a result of the boycott, Bud Light and other companies learned the following lessons: 1. Don’t cram your political ideologies down the throats of your customers. 2. Wanting to get new customers to support your product is perfectly legitimate. However, you cannot alienate your current, long-term customers in the process.
I truly don’t care who their target market turns out to be, but my family is not “it”.
My family tries hard not to purchase products that promote perversion and deviant behavior. We are Americans “God,guns and guts”. Maybe you should remember the type of people who founded this country.
It’s hard to avoid the main point. I don’t want trans gender rammed down my family’s throat. The commercial was shown during a nationally televised game. Families were watching, young children. Very hard to edit out the commercial on TV.
This caricature promotes trans gender life, and was celebrating 365 days of being a female with a bud light (will not use the term woman, because this caricature offends women also). Anheuser Busch had to know what was going on with this commercial. Maybe Bud light wanted to tap into this caricature’s TikTok followers. Anheuser Busch let two of their sales managers go (or on leave) before the CEO’s comment, THEY knew what they were doing.
Have nothing against anyone that wants to be LGBT etc. (even have family members that are). It they want that lifestyle so be it, just don’t promote it to children. God will figure out who or what they are on judgement day.
Good article Shane Harris, (from fellow Buckeye)
At Boston’s Fenway Park, most of the fans should be drinking “Sam Adams” nothing from Anheuser Busch.
I can’t boycott what I never drank anyways. Budweiser is over-priced pee water!
Unfortunately, just like Subway, the corporate decision to promote wokeness has hurt many franchisees and distributors who have zero say in the matter.
Hey, Mikey! Maybe if you said “I take FULL responsibility and am truly sorry that we chose to promote this trans thing. I promise that AB will focus on making good beer and stay out of any kind of political or social issues in the future” folk might consider forgiving your disastrous screw-up.
The message is sent loud and clear to ALL businesses, if you want to GO WOKE, you will GO BROKE!
It’s time for conservative to update the mantra from ‘go woke, go broke’ to go woke, STAY broke.
There is no credibility that this woke management didn’t know full well what its marketing arm was doing. These types of campaigns are reviewed and green lighted prior to taking the idea/direction to an outside firm. Outside firms are used everyday in the corporate world to shield the marketing team from reprisal if the campaign flops… they will fire the outside firm, distance themselves from the firm and swear to never use ‘that company again.
BL – Bud Lost, go woke, go broke! Thousand of better tasting micro brews out there.
Lets cut the leftist garbage language; it’s not that he “identifies” as a female. HE PRETENDS he’s a woman.
If you think for an instant that where you spend your money doesn’t matter, here is proof that it does. When conservatives target big corporations, we have way more power than they like.
Let’s be real. Producing the Artwork, use of a labeling line and product line for a very limited run of anything is very expensive. The idea that top management wasn’t aware of what a “Partner” or Advertising Firm was doing is ludicrous. The production plants or “Partners” do not have the freedom to do whatever they want with a “Brand Name” product. A Big Mac in Buffalo must be prepared exactly like a Big Mac in Los Angeles or even Timbuktu.
I am so thrilled by this article, another indication that the left wing politics is weak in comparison with the conservatives, when they boycot or do whatever is necessary!! Thank you so much for making these inspiring publications available, keeping us informed of the real truth!
I don’t want people to lose their jobs, however with decisions come consequences. You’ve heard this one: “Go Woke, Go Broke”!
Why do corporations play the politics game? You are only going to alienate members of your purchasing base!
Even if AB partners with Disney, the partnership would be about as solid as an air castle, and as effective. Anheuser-Busch has alienated most of its customers (myself included), and Disney shot itself in the foot when it tried to go up against DeSantis. • Disneyworld’s newest ploy is a campaign to offer Florida residents a deep discount on season tickets (still way too expensive even with the discount!). That isn’t working, either. The newspaper “Florida Today” recently reported attendance at all Disneyworld parks was down significantly (I don’t remember the exact figure, but it is around 30%). The decline has forced Disneyworld to lay off a couple thousand employees and close some of its attractions (“under construction” is the excuse being used). The truth is families (and many current
Have gone thru “bud light” country” brewery St. Louis, years ago. Yes AB made a mistake. Department heads gone. Game over. How long do es AB get pounded??? My reason is simple!!! AB employs thousands of people just like you and me that have no part in being stupid.Lay offs ,short hours and job loss results. AB now knows what their customers think and who pays the bills. Point is the ceo and HR hire people enough full staffs to do a job. We all know what it feels like when someone doesn’t do there’s. I have never had a bud light or any beer,stomach says no. Let’s voice our concern but remember it hurts the little guy also. My dime!!!
How Great Is this !!! Excellent Thank you to all of the real men and real women who have spoken up !!!
They have shown their true colors!!! Will not lift another can, bottle or draft of Bod Light. Doubtful I will knowingly drink another AB product!
???? for conservatives to save the culture of America. Shame on the female executive in advertising who had a chance to use a REAL woman as an advertisement aide. Where are all the women rights activists who are continually shouting for women’s rights. Crickets.
If you wish too have a better view of AB’s strategy the DailyWire.com has an excellent article that should open your eyes on the extent of their pandering, e.g.. DEI, ESG, WEF …. Then article lays it all out in frightening detail.
I’m way past tired of the woke / moral decline. Bud – gone, Disney – gone, Levis – gone, Niki – gone… and my list is growing… America better wake the hell up.. who is it that watches the hate of The View, or who are the 37% that thinks Biden is doing a great job…33 Trillion in dept… I’m convinced our country is spiraling in….
Perhaps they can recover by pairing up with Disney. There’s a match made in woke-ism.
So Sorry Dumbweister. The damage is done so enjoy your girly men and the pathetic products that you produce. Drink up boys, or girls and disappear forever.
This may make things simpler as well. The actual list:
The Michelob brands; Natural Light and Natty Daddy; Cass; Castle; Corona; Harbin; Estrella Jalisco; Aguila; Beck’s; Stella Artois; Jupiler; Kona; Leffe; Landshark Lager; Modelo; Presidente; Hoegaarden; Labatt; Hurricane; Rolling Rock; Skol; Johnny Appleseed; Shock Top; and Quilmes.
10 Barrel Brewing; Appalachian Mountain; Blue Point; Breckenridge Brewery; Cisco Brewers; Devils Backbone; Elysian; Four Peaks; Golden Road; Goose Island; Karbach Brewing; Omission Balanced Brewing; Platform Beer Company; Red Hook; Square Mile Cider Company; Veza Sur Brewing; Nirture Cider; Wicked Weed Brewing; Widmer Brothers Brewing; Wynwood Brewing; Hi Ball Energy; Babe; Nutrl; Cutwater Spirits; and Ritas.
Patriots, let’s bring them to their knees! We have many more companies to bring to heel.
A much more extensive list of the brewers they own than is available on their web site:
ijr.com/boycotting-bud-light-brands-owned-beers-parent-company/
So Bud wants to play the woke Equity & Diversity game and can’t wrap their mind around the fact that the majority of Americans won’t be Inclusive.
Anheuser-Busch is the parent company. They take all responsibility of the company, good or bad. If they cannot rein in their errant children then they will have to pay the price. Either keep an eye on what’s going on or face the consequences.
Important message to all businesses that want to pander to the 1%. Do so at your own risk! You have everything to lose and nothing to gain except the contempt of the majority of the other 99%.
One must ask, did Anheuser-Busch even research the demographics that their product could be solely supported by a people group that clearly does not represent mainstream majority?
“Anheuser-Busch did not intend to create a controversy or make a political statement,”
Oh they most certainly did try to make a political statement. It backfired and as with all left wing liberals, they almost immediately go into denial and the blame anyone but themselves game. Pitiful beer, pitiful management.
A company hires an “outside contractor” to provide advertising and claims not to know what the ad is about. That is not responsible.
Dear World:
I used to love to watch the Clydesdale horses pull the wagon as a younger person. I am now 82+ years and I am so sick of the “woke” so called people who are ramming everything down our throats. But it is not only woke “useless idiots” who are doing this. It is the communists that have invaded our country and now think they have everything they need to reconstruct this country. Well I for one will never drive an electric car, I shall fight for the right of citizens (real) to choose the schools they send their children to (I am in the middle of Pete Hegseth’s book The Battle for the American Mind), I shall take a new carry permit class as mine ran out in August of last year (from WA state), I shall continue my God given rights to express myself and I will pray that President Trump gets his rightful place back in the white house. I never have loved beer but I just cannot stand these woke corporations (Disney etc.) shoving all their asinine “stuff” down our throats also. Carol
Doesn’t line up with what you VP of advertising said in the beginning of all this, you know before you canned her! you did this to yourselves. Businesses should just stay out of politics, agendas, woke and all divisive issues. IMO
A letter to retailers? Customers are the ones voting with their pocketbooks. Too late now, the damage is done. Once loyal customers are offended they are not coming back. It looks like there aren’t that many transgenders who would become new customers.
Well Budweiser looks like 0-Biden has joined forces with you, we now have drag queens representing our military. How do you say drag queen disaster in Chinese?
Add Smirnoff to the boycott list.
This should be a lesson to other WOKE Companies. WE dont care for your idology. Kyle L.
They are a major Republican donor.
So please keep burning your re election money and remember boycotts work lol
I think we’re all pretty sick of having people shove their hogwash all over us and our children. We’re done now.
Bill K
Since A Bush is not an American owned company the two officers probably have 5 years of pay coming which for many European companies is set by law. How is a leave of absence taken as being dismissed. I guess it’s this five year rule?
A woke beer from a woke country. Lousy taste, flat pour, only good for dousing charcoal coals.
Companies should not be into Politics. How about just selling your products?
The following link will take you to a comprehensive list of all the widely commercial and custom brewers they own:
anheuser-busch.com/brands
Coincidently, this isn’t just about “Bud Light”. All Anhieser Bush products need to be boycotted, including Beck’s and Corona. They own a large number of product lines, and it’s important to know all of them.
Your answer shows your level of intelligence.