He then said this gag-worthy sentence: “Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation.” We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.”

In a press release entitled, 'Our Responsibility to America' (PR guy is SMH!), Whitworth blathered, 'We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. There's nothing that consumers loathe more than a brand that's wishy-washy. Now comes Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth, who couldn't leave well enough alone. It was a huge mistake that helped cost him his job. If you'll recall, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek at first came out in opposition to Florida’s “don’t say gay” bill, and then again, after threats of boycotts, he came back out and waffled. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.” 'From time to time we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney. “Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics,' a spokesperson said. The protesters called themselves 'true patriots,' because rather than take a knee during the national anthem, they stood, barely, on their feet, chugging Budweisers - the American way to 'proudly we ale.'Īt first, Bud Light's parent company made a statement that seemed to tacitly support its involvement with Mulvaney.

Racists said they were boycotting Nike because Kaepernick took a knee. That's what Nike did when it signed Colin Kaepernick. The trick for a brand is not to get caught up in the swirl of debate around the protests. That's because they peak fast and then just go away. Speaking from experience, and validating what other experts say, boycotts rarely work. The old-timers and bigots, however, started yelling boycott while younger audiences praised the move. That's an image more associated with old-timers like Kid Rock and Nugent, and with Mulvaney, it took a giant step.īud Light was getting massive PR for its partnership with Mulvaney, and initially, it probably met expectations of engaging a younger demographic. The CMO of Bud Light recently said, paraphrasing here, that the company needed to veer away from a stale brand image. In this case, Mulvaney was a brilliant choice, and the decision showed a stodgy old brand embracing love and acceptance. The decision for Bud Light to associate itself with Mulvaney was a good, gutsy call for a brand wanting to reach a younger, more open-minded audience.

Hard and fast by erin mccarthy