In AmericaAlmost everything is political, including now Beer. The hugely popular Bud Light brand has been under fire since partnering with a transgender influencer.
This cheap drink is sold everywhere from sporting events In concerts. One of the most popular in the United States, it has a typically American image that conservatives love.
A personalized can
It all starts with a promotional video in early April: One influencer, Dylan Mulvaney, appears to face the camera in a post on her Instagram account, a Bud Light in hand. She explains that she received a personalized can from the giant Anheuser-Busch InBev brand to celebrate the first anniversary of her gender transition. “I’m celebrating my 365th day as a woman and Bud Light sent me what could be the greatest gift in the world,” she smiles.
The 26-year-old actress, influencer and activist has a certain popularity in social networks (10 million subscribers TikTok) without being an indispensable star, the publication may have gone unnoticed. Other than Dylan Mulvaney, he is very outspoken and protective about his transition LGBT+ rightsRepresents everything conservatives hate.
Country stars ignored
Right, on issues of gender identity, Bud Light makes a mistake as a “trans beer” and should be ignored. Then the country stars lead the attack. For example, artist Riley Green swapped Bud Light’s name with one of his competitors in his song during a concert in mid-April. The most famous kid rock He releases a video promising a “clear and concise” response to the controversy. A hat with a Trumpist logo on his head, he turns around and holds a semi-automatic rifle… and riddles with bullets from Bud Light packs.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantisThe Republican darling of the 2024 presidential race vowed on Monday to never drink Bud Light again, refusing to support “woke corporations.”
The controversy soon went beyond political boundaries. Bars have indicated that they are pursuing boycotts in predominantly Republican states. John Rich, a country singer and owner of a bar in the festival city of Nashville, explained on Fox News that he had “cases and cases” of Bud Light because of a lack of orders from customers. And inside FloridaGrills Seafood restaurant said in a Facebook post that it no longer serves the beer because it “supports something that is completely against our biblical values.”
The M&M’s brand has already paid the price
In recent days, Anheuser-Busch InBev has launched a counterattack by airing an ad with a very strong patriotic flavor, complete with typical American landscapes and the inevitable American flag. Boss Brendan Whitworth also issued an apologetic statement that didn’t satisfy anyone. “We don’t want to enter into a debate that will divide people,” he explains, without directly citing the controversy.
This isn’t the first time a brand has been criticized for an overly “woke” partnership. M&M’s paid the price in January By wanting to make its party symbols more inclusive. But Twitter buzz doesn’t always translate to lower sales, said Jura Liakonite, an economics professor at Cornell University’s Tyson School. “Talking is easy, but acting is very difficult. “It’s very complicated for a boycott movement to be effective in the long run,” he says, drawing on previous examples of campaigns he’s studied.
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