NEW YORK, NEW YORK – Former President Donald Trump criticized Bud Light’s controversial partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, pointing out the hefty price the beer giant has paid for the collaboration. In a social media post, Trump threatened to release a list of “woke” companies while defending Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light. This comes after the beer brand faced backlash and plummeting sales following its ad featuring Mulvaney.
Since the ad’s release, Anheuser-Busch’s market value has dropped significantly, and Bud Light’s sales were down nearly 30% year over year. The pushback led to some stores giving the beer away for free and the company even had to buy back unsold, expired beer from wholesalers. The impact was so significant that Modelo Especial surpassed Bud Light as the number one selling beer brand for a certain period of time.
In response to the plummeting sales, Bud Light created a new advertisement for the Super Bowl, featuring a star-studded cast and a concept centered around an “Easy Night Out” theme. Despite the efforts to win back customers, Bud Light continues to experience challenges in luring back consumers.
Meanwhile, Trump’s defense of Anheuser-Busch and criticism of “woke” companies drew mixed reactions, with some arguing that the former president should focus on more pressing issues facing Americans. The campaign for Republican presidential nominee Nikki Haley even criticized Trump for fixating on the beer company instead of addressing the financial struggles of many American families.
However, Anheuser-Busch has yet to comment on the situation. As the controversy continues to unfold, the impact of Bud Light’s partnership with Mulvaney continues to be a topic of discussion in both business and social realms.