Second Bud Light marketing executive is placed on leave after Dylan Mulvaney debacle

A senior executive at Anheuser-Bush has been furloughed amid anger over Bud Light’s collaboration with Dylan Mulvaney.

Daniel Blake, Anheuser-Bush’s vice president of mainstream brands, resigned just days after Bud Light’s VP of marketing Alissa Heinerscheid took a leave of absence.

Blake is Heinerscheid’s boss and the move highlights turmoil at the multi-national, valued at more than $100 billion, over Bud Light’s deal with Mulvaney.

The company said its bosses had “decided” to step down temporarily, but their decisions were reportedly not voluntary.

‘Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take leave, which we support. Daniel has also decided to take a leave of absence,” the company said.

Daniel Blake, marketing chief for Anheuser-Bush’s core brands, has resigned following controversy over Bud Light’s collaboration with Dylan Mulvaney

Mulvaney, 26, had announced the partnership in a series of videos posted to social media in early April 2023 to coincide with the NCAA March Madness tournament. That was followed by a partnership with Nike to promote their women’s clothing – which also sparked angry reactions.

Blake is a nine-year veteran of Anheuser-Bush and has overseen marketing for both Bud Light and Budweiser.

A replacement was not immediately announced. Heinerscheid’s job was taken over by Todd Allen, who recently served as global vice president of Budweiser.

Blake, who is based in New York, was promoted to Group Vice President of Anheuser-Busch’s mainstream brands in May 2022, according to his LinkedIn page. Prior to that, he was group VP of marketing for Budweiser and value brands.

Two months ago, he heralded a “new era for Bud Light” when he shared an article about the beer’s “sophisticated” decision to include a female lead character in its Super Bowl ad.

A LinkedIn post shortly before opined how “everyone is connected by the same American Spirit values ​​and, of course, Budweiser.”

Prior to taking on his current position, Blake also served as the company’s vice president of value brands.

Mulvaney (left) was sent a personalized beer can to mark 365 days since her transition. Mulvaney documented her journey on TikTok and gained millions of online followers

Blake is an alumni of the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and George Washington University.

Heinerscheid was hired to overhaul Bud Light’s marketing in June 2022 with a vision to refresh its image.

But that took a disastrous turn on April 1 when the partnership with Mulvaney was announced, triggering a boycott and knocking $6 billion off the company’s value.

The Heinerscheid team was responsible for Bud Light’s critically acclaimed Super Bowl commercial starring Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh Sperry, and “the Bud Light Carry” commercial featuring a woman carrying a round of beer to a table of friends without spilling a drop.

Those ads were part of Heinerscheid’s vision to make the brand more female-friendly — something she describes as a “passion point.”

But that vision was quickly cut short on April 3 with the brand’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, a controversial trans activist with a massive social media following, proved to be a step too far for Bud Light’s loyal customers.

Kid Rock was one of the first to criticize the partnership and lead a boycott, with other conservative consumers, distributors and suppliers following suit.

Alissa Heinerscheid, the brand’s vice president of marketing, has taken a leave of absence, according to a report released Friday

The 26-year-old transgender activist announced the partnership in a now-viral post with the hashtag “#budlightpartner” and a caption touting the cans as her “most prized possession.”

A graduate of Wharton Business School, Heinerscheid has been hailed in interviews as the first woman to “lead” Bud Light in its 41-year history.

On March 30, in an interview with the Make Yourself at Home podcast, she talked about her strategy for moving beyond Bud Light’s “fratty” reputation and embracing inclusiveness to attract a young generation of drinkers.

In the turmoil that followed, Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, issued a statement supporting the brand’s decision to partner with Mulvaney, whose videos follow her journey.

“Anheuser-Busch partners with hundreds of influencers from all of our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences from a variety of demographics,” the representative said.

It added: ‘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 the irate customers even more.