Bud Light Buying Back Unsold Beer as Company Scrambles After Backlash
The Wall Street Journal—a move which could signal a change in strategy for the iconic brand following the culture-war storm it recently found itself in.After offering a sponsorship deal to trans activist and influencer Dylan Mulvaney in early April, sending the social media star a commemorative can celebrating the anniversary of her gender transition, Bud Light has faced a major boycott from conservatives who have accused the brand of going "woke" and alienating its own customers.Anti-trans feelings have been growing across the U.S.
in recent years, with several Republican-led states introducing legislation targeting and limiting trans rights, drag shows and trans youth access to gender-affirming health care.
The issue of transgender rights has spilled into the mainstream, and has become a main feature of the so-called culture wars in America.Bud Light's decision to offer a paid sponsorship deal to Mulvaney, who became popular on TikTok while documenting her transition journey from male to female in her series 365 days of girlhood, was seen by many conservatives as the brand taking a clear pro-trans stance in this matter.The controversy around Bud Light—and its parent company Anheuser-Busch—has dragged out for weeks, with the beer brand taking at least a temporary hit in sales following the calls to boycott the company.Bud Light's sales have fallen for more than a month since April.
Anheuser-Busch sold $71.5 million worth of Bud Light in the week ending April 29, a 23 percent drop compared to a year before, according to data from Bump Williams Consulting mentioned by CBS.
