Bud Light has responded after Dylan Mulvaney accused the beer brand of failing to support her amid the fallout of their recent advertising campaign. This debacle has reportedly caused Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, to suffer a $20 million loss in market cap value since the controversial March Madness advertisement.
Speaking to her 1.8 million followers, the transgender influencer, 26, expressed her disappointment in the company: "I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me, but they never did. I've been scared to leave my house. For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse than not hiring a trans person at all."
Anheuser-Busch quickly responded to Mulvaney's public criticism, reaffirming their commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and the partnerships they've cultivated within it. Although they didn't directly name Mulvaney, the timing of their response heavily suggests it was prompted by her comments.
Check out what Mulvaney had to say yesterday:The company stated: "The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority. As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best – brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers."
This follows recent scrutiny over CEO Brendan Whitworth's vague answers regarding the possibility of partnering with Mulvaney again, as well as the financial implications of it.
Whitworth's cryptic response about the "social conversation" the campaign sparked failed to appease critics. He further stressed the need to "deeply understand the consumer" and "appreciate" what they want from the brand, an explanation that was met with online backlash.
During Mulvaney's video post, she reminded Bud Light that the trans and queer communities are "customers too" and "turning a blind eye" is not an option. She previously refrained from giving her critics the "satisfaction" of a response, but the 28.5% drop in beer sales seemingly prompted her to address the controversy.
In the video, Mulvaney also mentioned the infamous can that Kid Rock shot at, revealing that she had hidden it for its protection and now cannot find it. "I realized that I needed to protect this can so I hid it somewhere and I can't find it because I hid it so well. But when I do find it, I feel like it needs to go in a museum, preferably behind bullet-proof glass."
Mulvaney took a firm stand against any suggestion of her not being a beer enthusiast, stating, "One thing I will not tolerate people saying about me is that I don't like beer because I love beer and I always have."
She also pointed out that Bud Light initiated contact for the sponsored video, contrary to the company's claim that an external agency was responsible.
The plot thickens as Anheuser-Busch denies allegations that they fired two marketing executives connected to the Mulvaney controversy. However, both individuals are reportedly on a "leave of absence."
In her recent post, Mulvaney lambasted what she perceived as the brand's abandonment, noting that "It gives customers permission to be as transphobic and as hateful as they want. There should be nothing controversial or divisive about working with us."