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Bud Light’s Effort at Damage Control Backfires

by Toby Young
1 May 2023 9:00 AM

Bud Light, still reeling from the Dylan Mulvany debacle, bought an expensive ad spot during Thursday’s NFL Draft featuring country music fans drinking the beleaguered beer while the song ‘Chicken Fried’ plays over the top. But it hasn’t done much to persuade embittered ex-fans to forgive the brand. DailyMail.com has more.

It is one of a number of commercials released by the company since the partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney at the beginning of April caused sales to plummet.

The commercial is a clear nod to American country music and its fans, and designed to appeal to the humor of its more traditional market, much of which was alienated by the controversy.

In the three days since the 30-second video was released it has accrued more than 8 million views, but received less than 200 likes. By comparison, the song Chicken Fried was uploaded 14 years ago and has 135 million views and 571,000 likes.

It is not clear how many users ‘disliked’ the new commercial – in 2021 YouTube removed a feature allowing the public to see how many dislikes a video has. Some people argued at the time in doing so it was catering to large corporations that would often become the victims of ‘dislike attacks’.

Disabling the comments on YouTube did not stop viewers from discussing the advert on Twitter. “Real smart, piss off that demographic, then cynically try to lure them back with this. Don’t fall for it,” one user wrote.

“Re Bud Light’s use of Zach Brown’s ‘Chicken Fried’ during the NFL draft to stop the sales dive. Nice try, but nah. Made it worse. You revealed how intentional your trans promotion was. You knew. You chose. You didn’t care. It only takes once to show us who you really are,” wrote another.

Several social media users threatened the company for being “cowards”.

“Just saw your new throwback commercial showing the good old days. Cowards,” A Twitter user wrote. “The good old days are gone until you address the womanface situation. You underestimate our memory, further insulting us. One solid month of insult, and now you think we are coming back. Get lost.”

An opinion piece in published by Bloomberg before the commercial released used similar language to describe how Anheuser-Busch responded to the backlash and accused the company of setting a “new low in corporate courage”.

“Kicking a political hornet’s nest for clicks and giggles before running away is no way to elevate a brand or promote a cause,” wrote Ben Schott, the publication’s advertising and brands columnist.

Worth reading in full.

Tags: Anheuser-BuschBud LightChicken FriedDylan MulvaneyNFL Draft

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28 Comments
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huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago

Oh, I do enjoy a successful “go woke, go broke.”

Perhaps if some of the smart arses running these big corporations had bothered to talk to their customers these cock-ups would be avoided. On second thoughts, nah, carry on chaps, I’ll be glad to see the back of Anhauser- Busch.

After the Gillette fiasco you’d think companies would have learnt a lesson but no they are stuffed with frightfully clever people who know what’s best.

Suck it up guys.

😀😀😀

175
-1
varmint
varmint
2 years ago

It is difficult to keep a track of the woke products these days. You certainly don’t want to be daft and purge your cupboards of stuff whose woke ads appear on TV, but there are certainly products I will never buy again from certain big companies. Nike, Bud, Unilever, to name but a few. ———-I am only one person but if these posturing companies do some market research, they will find that their wokery will severely hit their till receipts. This idea that they are not just in the business of making profit and that they should also be awake to alleged social injustice will meet reality head on and infact is already doing so.

99
-1
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  varmint

I agree. I never buy Gillette products now. Interestingly they now tend to fill the shelves in pound shops. They didn’t before their stupidity. Marvellous.

61
-2
Mogwai
Mogwai
2 years ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Actually what’s the deal with Gillette? Don’t think I’m aware of any controversy there.

8
0
Jon Garvey
Jon Garvey
2 years ago
Reply to  Mogwai

Search “Gillette woke controversy 2019.”

12
0
DomH75
DomH75
2 years ago
Reply to  Jon Garvey

Yep! Gillette make great razors. Haven’t used them since that commercial!

18
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  Mogwai

I forget the timeline Mogs – five years maybe, but Gillette ran an ad campaign which wholly inverted:

“The best a man can get,”

…and went on to rubbish men, masculinity, maleness, etc. I believe the campaign lost the company over $8 billion and they have not recovered from it – now filling poundshop shelves in the UK 😀

https://youtu.be/Jx_uJi1ByQA

Last edited 2 years ago by huxleypiggles
42
-1
Mogwai
Mogwai
2 years ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Ah yes, I remember the slogan. Good to know and a reminder that ‘people power’ is actually a thing and effective across the board. 🙂

21
0
MikeAustin
MikeAustin
2 years ago
Reply to  Mogwai

It seems they cannot claim ‘Gillette competence’
(OK, I’ll get my coat and be off!)

19
0
Mogwai
Mogwai
2 years ago
Reply to  MikeAustin

LOL, god loves a trier!

8
0
DS99
DS99
2 years ago
Reply to  MikeAustin

Very good MA!

3
0
RTSC
RTSC
2 years ago
Reply to  varmint

Agreed. Ben and Jerries is also on my list.

7
0
NeilofWatford
NeilofWatford
2 years ago

No mercy.
Don’t give your money to those who hate you.
I’ve added Budweiser to Paypal, John Lewis, Netflix, Nike and Sainsbury, none of whom will ever receive another penny from me,

Last edited 2 years ago by NeilofWatford
64
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huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  NeilofWatford

Yep. PayPal got the boot when they went for DS and Toby. Gillette see above / below. Never used Netflix. Don’t care for being logo’d so I have never owned any Nike. Sainsbury’s are on the naughty step.

38
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The Dogman
The Dogman
2 years ago
Reply to  NeilofWatford

You can add Heineken to the list for this woeful pro-vax advert https://youtu.be/akxfPV-A_C0. Do check out the comments section though – very heartening.

Last edited 2 years ago by The Dogman
19
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huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  The Dogman

Bloody hell. That Heineken ad is appalling. Staggering.

5
0
psychedelia smith
psychedelia smith
2 years ago

When were the ‘good ol days’ of Budweiser? It always tasted like carbonated ball sweat.

33
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AynRandyAndy
AynRandyAndy
2 years ago
Reply to  psychedelia smith

PS

I don’t doubt your comparison, and I’d prefer not to know, how you know.

Last edited 2 years ago by AynRandyAndy
31
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  AynRandyAndy

😀😀😀

12
-1
LaptopMaestro
LaptopMaestro
2 years ago
Reply to  psychedelia smith

If I’m not mistaken, AB pay a royalty to Ceske Budvar for use of the name “Budweiser” – for them it’s all about pretending

12
0
Mogwai
Mogwai
2 years ago

Off-topic but an excellent article looking at the rise of censorship in the context of current events;

”PEOPLE who cannot argue the facts have two fall-backs: smears and censorship. The official Covid response perfectly encapsulated that.
Emboldened by their success at censoring and ridiculing the truth over the past three years, our politicians and media are now trying to gag all dissenting voice on most matters.
Take the ruling class’s treatment of Robert Kennedy Jr.
Before Covid, we would have been treated to fawning media coverage on how President John F Kennedy’s nephew was set to challenge Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination.

Instead, the media has dismissed the announcement due to the fact Kennedy is a so-called “anti-vaxxer”.
Worse, the Democrats announced this week that the attorney will not be allowed to face off against the senile incumbent in debates. They know that Biden would have his failing health publicly confirmed should he appear in unscripted TV appearances.
A similar thing is happening in the Republican Party too, where former president Donald Trump is campaigning to stop any debates in its “primaries” or leadership contest.
Trump, who introduced ruinous lockdowns and is batting for the “wrong side” in America’s toxic culture wars (he has been defending Disney and Bud Light in their transgender battles with fellow Republicans), is clearly terrified of having to face open opposition and defend his actions during Covid.”

https://uncut.substack.com/p/you-will-be-silenced

19
-1
Jon Garvey
Jon Garvey
2 years ago

I’m sure it’s not over yet. With electric vehicle sales slumping, we await Ford’s attempt to woo the woke tradesman with an eTrans-It/They van!

43
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  Jon Garvey

Love it👍

12
-1
LaptopMaestro
LaptopMaestro
2 years ago

A man pretending to be a woman advertising piss pretending to be beer seems appropriate

63
0
Mogwai
Mogwai
2 years ago
Reply to  LaptopMaestro

Not that I follow this ”I’m a lady” dude but I’ve seen pictures of him without all the slap on, stubble grown in and he looks just like a regular, albeit very skinny, guy. Oh and that Nike ad he did he was obviously using ‘chicken fillets’ because the guy has literally zero bust in real life. I thought he was on hormones and had surgery but obviously not. Just a cross-dressing influencer who’s having the last laugh by raking it in while getting more and more exposure.

https://www.tiktok.com/@dylanmulvaney/video/7147147215532739883

26
0
DevonBlueBoy
DevonBlueBoy
2 years ago
Reply to  LaptopMaestro

🤣👍👍

1
0
Arborvitae23
Arborvitae23
2 years ago

I was more offended by the Nike advert. That was undoubtedly much more anti-women yet has been barely mentioned since.

20
0
DevonBlueBoy
DevonBlueBoy
2 years ago

The biggest problem they have is calling Budweiser a “beer”. The fizzy gnat’s pi55 that uses that name deserves all the opprobium it receives.

2
0

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