Dylan Mulvaney : The business informed the Wall Street Journal on Sunday that two Anheuser-Busch InBev officials who oversaw Bud Light’s marketing partnership with transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney had been placed on leave.
After sending the social media influencer commemorative Bud Light cans with her image on them to promote a sweepstakes contest for the company, Alissa Heinerscheid, vice president of marketing for Bud Light, and her boss, Daniel Blake, group vice president for marketing at Budweiser, came under fire and even received death threats earlier this month.
As of right now, both executives have taken leaves of absence, the business informed the Journal in an email.
In the email, an Anheuser-Busch representative stated, “Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence which we support.” Daniel has also made the decision to take time off.
Dylan Mulvaney
According to persons familiar with the situation, the executives’ choice to take a leave of absence “wasn’t voluntary” on their parts, the Journal stated.
Heinerscheid will be replaced as vice president of marketing at Bud Light by Todd Allen, the former global vice president of Budweiser, according to a story from Ad Age.
Mulvaney shared a sponsored Instagram video of herself sipping a Bud Light on April 1 as part of a marketing effort honouring the conclusion of March Madness. In the video, Dylan Mulvaney celebrates her “365 days of girlhood” TikTok series, which documents her gender transition, by posting a picture of a Bud Light can with her face on it. She refers to the commemorative can in the post as “possibly the best gift ever.”
Some Bud Light supporters were outraged by the message, prompting calls for a boycott of the company. Kid Rock, a rapper and performer, entered the debate with an Instagram video in which he can be seen blasting Bud Light cases with an automatic weapon while sporting a MAGA hat.
Following the controversy, Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Brendan Whitworth issued a statement on April 14 in which he apologised for the divide brought on by the company’s association with Dylan Mulvaney , though he did not specifically mention the promotion.
The CEO stated, “We never wanted to be a part of a topic that divides people. We specialise in bringing people together to drink beer.
An inquiry for comment from MoneyWatch received no response from Anheuser-Busch InBev.
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Maybelline, a cosmetics brand that collaborated with Dylan Mulvaney on a brief video last month, is seeing its own backlash, with critical pundits asking for a boycott of the business.
Mulvaney has drawn the ire of conservatives, some of whom are criticising the influencer’s brand alliances to voice their opposition to transgender rights.
From being “fratty” to welcoming
The collaboration between Bud Light and Dylan Mulvaney was a component of a bigger plan by the beer company to “evolve” its marketing approach. Heinerscheid said in remarks he made earlier this month on the “Make Yourself At Home” podcast that Bud Light has historically targeted “fratty” guys in its marketing efforts and desired to be more “inclusive.”
“I was given a very specific mandate. Heinerscheid stated on the show that we should “evolve and elevate this incredibly iconic brand.” It entails creating a campaign that is both gender- and sex-inclusive and feels lighter, brighter, and distinct.
Bud Light’s sibling companies have changed their tone away from that of inclusivity after the debate about the connection to Dylan Mulvaney emerged. Budweiser, a different AB InBev-owned brand, tweeted a stylish new commercial on April 14 with patriotic connotations and its iconic Clydesdale horse symbol.
Encouragement of transgender representation
In spite of the criticism Bud Light received from “a small number of loud, fringe anti-LGBTQ activists,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis told MoneyWatch that other companies will continue to work with transgender individuals.
“When brands portray LGBTQ people truthfully, it reflects the world around us and strengthens the brand’s reputation among all consumers, especially younger consumers,” says a spokesperson for the company.
The response briefly hurt AB InBev’s shares, which has since rebounded and was trading at about $66 per share on Monday. The brewery has increased by around 4% over the previous month and by about 11% over the past year. It also owns beer brands including Corona and Stella Artois.
