OPINION | This article contains the author's opinion.
Bud Light, once the best-selling beer in the U.S., has slipped from its position as one of the country’s top 10 most popular beers.
This decline coincided with its collaboration with transgender activist and influencer, Dylan Mulvaney.
According to a recent YouGov survey, Bud Light dropped from its previous rank as the ninth most popular beer to the 14th spot. It was surpassed by other brands like Pabst Blue Ribbon, Miller Genuine Draft, and Miller Lite.
The top five most well-liked beers were Guinness, Heineken, Corona, Samuel Adams, and Blue Moon.
In the state of Pennsylvania, a beverage warehouse said a 30-pack of Miller Lite was selling for $24.99 before July 4th.
In comparison, a 30-pack of Bud Light was priced at $8.99 after a rebate. This is cheaper than some cases of water.
Bud Light also fired its marketing vice president, Alissa Heinerscheid, following the disaster with Mulvaney.
A video surfaced of Heinerscheid where she criticized the brand’s consumer base as “fratty” and “out of touch humor.”
“We had this hangover, I mean Bud Light had been kind of a brand of fratty, kind of out of touch humor, and it was really important that we had another approach,” she said.
In the second quarters of 2022 and 2023, it is interesting to note that surveys consistently found that 42% of individuals held a positive opinion or expressed a liking for Bud Light.
However, the parent company of Bud Light, Anheuser-Busch, has experienced a significant decline in sales.
This decline can be attributed to customers abandoning the brand following its collaboration with Mulvaney to promote the March Madness basketball tournament.
Mulvaney, a transgender activist, showcased Bud Light cans featuring their own face as part of the “365 Days of Girlhood” series on TikTok.
This series documented Mulvaney’s daily experiences during their first year of identifying as a transgender woman.
Anheuser-Busch sent specially designed cans to commemorate this milestone.
“Bud Light sales are reportedly down almost 30% from last June and the brand ‘is showing no signs of rebounding from its slump,'” the report said.
“In May, some stores were even selling Bud Light for free with the help of a $15 promotional rebate from Anheuser-Busch ahead of the Memorial Day weekend holiday.”
Bud Light released a new advertisement featuring Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce.
This was widely viewed as a “desperate” attempt to gain back customers.
“Man Bud Light is going for the death blow at this point,” one person wrote. “This is what they think of their client base, stupid grunting cavemen.”
“Hey look! ‘Fratty’ and ‘out of touch’ is back in style at Bud Light,” another wrote.
