Last month, Bud Light was at the center of a controversy after the iconic tailgate beer brand partnered with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney for an influencer ad campaign. The decision to work with a transgender influencer caused massive boycotts from politically conservative customers, leaving many wondering if Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch now regrets the partnership with Mulvaney.
This week, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth made his first public comments since the ordeal, joining CBS Mornings for an interview. During the interview, Whitworth was asked plainly if Bud Light still would have partnered with Mulvaney in retrospect – but he didn’t exactly give a clear answer.
“There’s a big social conversation taking place right now, and big brands are right in the middle of it,” Whitworth said. “It’s not just our industry, or Bud Light. It’s happening in retail, it’s happening in fast food. So for us, what we need to deeply understand and appreciate is the consumer, and what they want, and what they care about, and what they expect from big brands.”
In response to recent controversy, @AnheuserBusch CEO Brendan Whitworth tells CBS Mornings that his company will continue to support the LGBTQ community.
He did not directly answer the questions of whether the promotional campaign with a transgender influencer was a mistake. pic.twitter.com/19PXJQkoem
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) June 28, 2023
Whitworth was later asked if it was a mistake for Bud Light to partner with Mulvaney. Again, his answer was not a clear “yes” or “no.” However, he did make it clear that Bud Light intends to support the LGBTQ community in the future.
“Bud Light has supported the LGBTQ since 1998, so that’s 25 years. And as we’ve said from the beginning, we’ll continue to support the communities and organizations that we’ve supported for decades,” he said. “But as we move forward, you know, we want to focus on what we do best, which is brewing great beer for everyone. Listening to our consumers, being humble and listening to them, making sure that we do right by our employees, take care of and support our partners, and ultimately make an impact in the communities that we serve.”
