Budweiser released a patriotic new ad featuring its iconic Clydesdale horses just two weeks after Dylan Mulvaney’s Bud Light deal sparked massive backlash, but the public isn’t biting.
The one-minute spot was released on social media Friday and features photos of the iconic Clydesdales galloping across the country, in open fields and past landmarks including the Lincoln Memorial and the New York City skyline.
A deep-voiced narrator says Budweiser is “a story bigger than beer” as the horses race across the screen.
“This is the story of the American mind,” he says.
The ad for the beer — which, like Bud Light, is also owned by Anheuser-Busch — appears to be a pivotal return to traditional values for the brand, which has historically appealed to American workers.
This is in stark contrast to Bud Light’s doomed partnership with trans influencer Mulvaney, which ended in a lukewarm apology from the company’s CEO.
Online, however, users read the ad as a pathetic attempt to right the ship that had been permanently steered in the wrong direction with the Mulvaney partnership.
The iconic Clydesdales gallop through iconic American scenery
“My favorite ad by far was the Clydesdales after 9/11. It was absolute perfection. After your embrace of the trans agenda, glorifying a man seeking his 15 minutes of fame by mocking women. I will never buy, drink or serve your beer again’ wrote a user.
“Is the horse trans now?” wrote radio host Dan O’Donnell.
“No, you destroyed your own base and market because you had to wake up. I will never drink any of your products again,’ wrote Brandon Saario.
‘Lol, hard spindle huh?’ wrote Angela McArdlethe president of the Libertarian Party.
Commentator Philip Holloway wrote, “Now don’t look at Anheuser Busch and Budweiser, but the Clydesdale has already left the shed. The train has left, the ship has left the station.’
In one shot, the ad shows two people raising an American flag as one of them puts her hand over her heart.
As the flag is raised, the narrator says, “Brewed for those who found opportunity in challenge and hope in tomorrow.”
In another shot, the ad shows the skyline of downtown NYC, where the Freedom Tower now stands in place of the World Trade Center. At that point, the narrator says the word, “Remember.”
Not everyone appreciated the reference. Brandon Morse, Red State’s editor-in-chief, responded, “I’m not sure a lineup of B-roll footage and a guy throwing Central American buzzwords at us is going to win us back, and frankly it’s kind to involve 9/11. of insulting.’
The Budweiser Clydesdales have been featured in the Budweiser Super Bowl ad for over 30 years
The targeted ad comes in as Anheuser-Busch continues to navigate the controversy surrounding its Bud Light partnership.
Bud Light and Budweiser are different brands under the same parent company. With the new ad, the latter – often referred to as The King of Beers – appears to be stepping in to save Bud Light’s reputation.
In her controversial ad, Mulvaney posted a clip of herself sipping face down on a one-off custom Bud Light can to promote the March Madness contest. to dawn.
Mulvaney became known for the ‘days of girlhood’ videos, in which the 26-year-old documented her first year of identifying as a girl.
But the TikTok star, 26, has angered some feminists and conservatives over claims she ‘plays’ like a ‘girl’, co-opting parts of femininity she finds interesting – without dealing with the misogyny or prejudice many face. women face.
Not even the Budweiser Clydesdales have escaped backlash against the partnership, as a Budweiser distributor in Missouri last week canceled all scheduled events to showcase the huge horses due to safety concerns.
Brendan Whitworth, CEO of Anheuser-Busch, issued a lame apology Friday.
“It was never our intention to be part of a discussion that divides people. Our job is to bring people together over a beer,” Whitworth said in the statement.
In a statement following the initial backlash, the company attempted to reassure conservative consumers with a statement.
“Anheuser-Busch partners with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of the many ways we authentically connect with audiences across demographics and passion points.
“From time to time we produce unique commemorative tins for fans and for brand influencers, such as Dylan Mulvaney.
“This commemorative tin was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.”
Their doubling only infuriated the irate customers even more.
Onlookers are now criticizing the maneuver as a blatant publicity grab, amid the recent trend of companies “waking up” to improve their bottom line.
Anheuser-Busch defended Dylan Mulvaney’s gift of her personalized can in a statement: “From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, such as Mulvaney. This commemorative tin was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale’
In early April, Mulvaney shared a video of herself in a bathtub sipping from a can of Bud Light to announce her new partnership with the brand.
The company has been hit by a flurry of complaints, with many customers filming themselves pouring out the liquid
Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s vice president of marketing, previously sparked controversy by saying she had a mandate to update the brand’s “fratty” and “out of touch” image.
‘I am a business woman. I had a very clear job to do when I took over Bud Light, and it was, “This brand is in decline, it’s been in decline for a long time, and if we don’t attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand there will be no future are for Bud Light,” she said in a video that was heavily criticized.
“It’s like we need to develop this incredibly iconic brand and take it to the next level,” she added.
What does evolve and elevate mean? It means inclusiveness. It means shifting the tone. It means having a campaign that is truly inclusive and that feels lighter, brighter and different.
“And appeals to women and men,” she concluded in a March 30 interview.