How Anheuser-Busch top brass was blindsided by potentially catastrophic Dylan Mulvaney campaign
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Senior officials of parent company Anheuser Busch (AB) are alleged to have disapproved of beer juggernaut Bud Light's disastrous marketing campaign with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. In a series of joint posts on social media, Mulvaney, a biological male who started transitioning in 2021, promoted America's top-selling beer to her 11 million followers as part of the partnership, which was announced on April 2.
In Mulvaney's posts, the influencer was pictured relaxing in a bathtub while drinking from personalized cans that included her face and pro-LGBTQ wording. However, the social media posts, which were never published by Bud Light or Anheuser Busch accounts, provoked significant outrage, leading numerous well-known celebrities to vow to abstain from alcohol in protest.
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'Mistake by a lower level employee'
In the past ten days, the backlash has reduced AB's entire share value by $6 billion, and the corporation has remained silent except for a brief statement announcing the relationship. "No one at a senior level was aware this was happening," two AB sources later informed The Daily Wire. They also claimed that the choice to include Mulvaney in the campaign was made by a "lower level employee" and was a "mistake."
In response to the criticism, AB released a brief statement last week noting that it backed Bud Light's choice to collaborate with Mulvaney, who shot to internet fame during the previous year. The statement reads, "Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics. From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers like Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public," as reported by NewsWeek.
Company's 'fratty' reputation
Customers were even more outraged by their doubling down, which probably contributed to Anheuser-Busch's recent market difficulties. Only a few days earlier, the vice president of Bud Light had declared her desire to exchange the company's "fratty" reputation for "inclusivity," prompting the disastrous marketing effort. Despite being America's top beer with a market share of more than 13%, Alissa Heinerscheid claimed on a business podcast on March 30 that Anheuser-Busch beer had been "in decline for a really long time." According to the Harvard grad, "There will be no future for Bud Light if more female and younger consumers aren't attracted," as reported by DailyMail.