Bud Light Controversy Handing Company Huge Online Boost
remained silent on its social media channels for nearly two weeks before breaking that silence on Friday with fresh posts and a message from the parent company's chief executive.The brand faced criticism after it partnered with Mulvaney, who has documented her first year of transitioning to being a woman to her more than 10 million TikTok followers.
The row has crystalized a broader debate about the acceptance of transgender individuals in public life.While many have accused Bud Light of betraying its traditional consumers, others have argued that the partnership was part of a push to expand into other markets in a bid to increase its customer base, including those who would not conventionally buy the product.On April 2, Mulvaney posted a video to her 1.7 million Instagram followers in which she explained that Bud Light had sent her a personalized can with her face on to commemorate 365 days of being a woman.A spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light's parent company, told Newsweek on April 3 that the company "works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics."They added that the commemorative can it had given to Mulvaney "was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public."News of the partnership was quickly met with backlash online, prompting the company to refrain from posting on its social media channels until Friday, when it tentatively wrote on Twitter "TGIF?" along with an image of a Bud Light can.TGIF?
pic.twitter.com/d3W4oWJSXrThe seemingly innocuous post has, as of 6 a.m. ET Monday, been viewed 11.1 million times, with 25,200 replies and nearly 4,700 likes.
