Budweiser is trying to put the genie back in the bottle with a new pro-America ad after backlash over Bud Light’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney threatened to bring down the brand.
Budweiser’s latest advertisement was released on social media Friday. It features the famous Clydesdale horses crossing the country from New York City to the Grand Canyon as the narrator delivers a patriotic message. The ad says:
(See Video Below) “This is a story bigger than beer. This is the story of the American spirit. Brewed for those who found opportunity in challenge and hope in tomorrow.”
Not everyone was impressed.
“Hey @AnheuserBusch, if you’re at a point where you’re literally referencing 9/11 in hopes that it would make us flyover yokels run to the store to salute a 12-pack of Bud Light, you should just apologize instead. Hoping we’re stupid enough to buy this ad is insulting,” Red State editor Brandon Morse said.
“You aren’t putting that genie back in the bottle, guys,” “Rambo” and “Black Hawk Down” actor Matthew Marsden said.
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth broke his silence about the controversy Friday.
Whitworth said: “As the CEO of a company founded in America’s heartland more than 165 years ago, I am responsible for ensuring every consumer feels proud of the beer with brew.
“We’re honored to be part of the fabric of this country. Anheuser-Busch employs more than 18,000 people and our independent distributors employ an additional 47,000 valued colleagues.
“We have hundreds of thousands of partners, millions of fans and a proud history supporting our communities, military, first responders, sports fans, and hard-working Americans everywhere.
“We never intended to be part of the discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over beer.
“My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and values upon which America was founded: freedom hard work, and respect for one another.
“As CEO of Anheuser-Busch, I am focused on building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage.
“I care deeply about this country, this company, our brands and our partners.
“I spend much of my time traveling across America, listening to and learning from our customers, distributors and others.
“Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across the nation.”
Bud Light’s vice president of marketing Alissa Heinerscheid and: “I’m a businesswoman, I had a really clear job to do when I took over Bud Light, and it was ‘This brand is in decline, it’s been in a decline for a really long time, and if we do not attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand there will be no future for Bud Light.”
“To evolve and elevate this incredibly iconic brand” we need “inclusivity, it means shifting the tone, it means having a campaign that’s truly inclusive, and feels lighter and brighter and different, and appeals to women and to men.
“Representation is sort of at the heart of evolution, you have got to see people who reflect you in the work.”
“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.
You aren’t putting that genie back in the bottle, guys. https://t.co/5Vfd945elc
— Matthew Marsden (@matthewdmarsden) April 16, 2023
— Budweiser (@budweiserusa) April 14, 2023
— Anheuser-Busch (@AnheuserBusch) April 14, 2023
