‘No one at a senior level’ was aware Bud Light was partnering with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney
The ill-fated marketing campaign between beer giant Bud Light and trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney was launched without the approval of senior executives at parent company Anheuser Busch (AB), it is alleged.
In the partnership revealed on April 2, Mulvaney, a biological male who began transitioning in 2021, promoted America’s best-selling beer to 11 million social media followers in a series of partnered posts.
Mulvaney’s posts showed the influencer sitting in a bathtub sipping from custom cans with her face and pro-LGBTQ language.
But the posts, which were never shared by Bud Light or Anheuser Busch social media profiles, sparked widespread outrage with several high-profile celebrities swearing off the flush in protest.
The backlash has shaved $6 billion off AB’s total share value in the past 10 days, and the company remains silent beyond a brief statement confirming the partnership.
A few sources at AB have already said this The daily thread that “no one at a higher level knew this was happening,” claiming that the decision to include Mulvaney in the campaign was made by a “lower-ranking collaborator” and was a “mistake.”
DailyMail.com has contacted AB for comment.
Mulvaney’s Instagram beer promotion saw the influencer hit Bud Light back in the tub
Bud Light has teamed up with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney
Bud Light’s parent company has lost more than $6 billion in market cap since announcing its partnership with Mulvaney
AB shared a brief statement last week in response to the backlash, saying it supported Bud Light’s decision to partner with Mulvaney, who rose to internet stardom over the past year.
“Anheuser-Busch is partnering with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across different demographics,” the statement said.
“From time to time we produce unique commemorative tins 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 to the general public.”
Their doubling only infuriated customers even more — and likely played a role in Anheuser-Busch’s recent market woes.
The disastrous marketing campaign came just days after Bud Light’s vice president said she wanted to trade the brand’s “fratty” reputation for “inclusiveness.”
Alissa Heinerscheid spoke on a business podcast on March 30 to claim that the Anheuser-Busch beer “has been in decline for a long time” — despite being America’s number one brew with a market share of more than 13 percent.
The Harvard graduate stated that it is essential to attract more female and younger drinkers, otherwise there is “no future for Bud Light.”
Although, according to Heinerscheid, the Bud Light brand is on the decline, it remains the showpiece of parent company Anheuser Busch.
The Belgian multinational, the world’s largest brewer, saw its profit rise above expectations in the first quarter of 2023 to more than 7 percent.
It reported last month that its core earnings — earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization — were $4.95 billion.
Trans activist Dylan Mulvaney is seen arriving at a studio in Hollywood on Tuesday
Alissa Heinerscheid told the Make Yourself at Home podcast on March 30 that she believed Bud Light had to contain “inclusiveness,” it means setting a different tone, it means having a campaign that’s really inclusive, feels lighter and brighter and different and appeal to women. and for men.’
Heinerscheid previously worked in AB marketing before taking over as vice president of Bud Light in July last year.
Her LinkedIn profile proudly states that she is the “first woman to lead the largest beer brand in the industry.”
She told the Make Yourself at Home podcast that she believed Bud Light had to incorporate “inclusivity,” it means a shift in tone, it means having a campaign that’s really inclusive, and feels lighter and brighter and different, and attractive to women and men. ‘
Heinerscheid claimed she had a “super clear” mandate “to evolve and take this incredibly iconic brand to the next level.”
She criticized Bud Light’s former marketing strategy as dated and male-oriented.
“We were hungover. I mean, Bud Light had been kind of an antics, a little bit of callous humor, and it was really important that we took a different approach,” the Wharton graduate argued.
Asked by the host about what she brought to the table at Bud Light, Heinerscheid said, “I had a very clear job to do when I took over Bud Light, and it was ‘this brand is in decline, it’s in a very long hiatus , and if we don’t attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand, there is no future for Bud Light”.
Photos have since circulated on Heinerscheid’s Facebook account showing the Bud Light vice president blowing up condoms and drinking bottles of lager at one of Harvard’s many social club parties.