Bud Light is facing renewed controversy over a video of the brand’s marketing VP, Alissa Heinerscheid explaining why the company has made such a radical shift in terms of the beer’s branding.
In the video Heinerscheid talked about her intention to transform the beer’s “fratty” and “out of touch” image into one of “inclusivity.”
The video has gained traction on social media amidst the brand’s recent partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney, which has sparked calls for boycotts.
Heinerscheid outlined her goals for revamping Bud Light’s brand image during a March 23 interview on the podcast “Make Yourself At Home.”
This interview took place shortly before customers learned about the brand partnership with Mulvaney, causing a wave of revulsion among many and calls for a boycott.
Bud Light sent the influencer a custom-made can featuring Mulvaney’s face to help celebrate the anniversary of Mulvaney’s so called “365 Days of Girlhood.” The TikTok star also posted several ads on Instagram using the hashtag “#budlightpartner.”
During the interview, Heinerscheid explained why she felt the need to radically rebrand Bud Light. “I’m a businesswoman, I had a really clear job to do when I took over Bud Light, and it was ‘This brand is in decline, it’s been in a decline for a really long time, and if we do not attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand there will be no future for Bud Light,'” she said.
Further Heinerscheid said she had a clear mandate to “evolve and elevate this incredibly iconic brand,” stating her strategy involved incorporating ““inclusivity, it means shifting the tone, it means having a campaign that’s truly inclusive, and feels lighter and brighter and different, and appeals to women and to men.”
“Representation is sort of at the heart of evolution, you have got to see people who reflect you in the work,” Heinerscheid continued. “We had this hangover, I mean Bud Light had been kind of a brand of fratty, kind of out-of-touch humor, and it was really important that we had another approach.”
The ads featuring Mulvaney provoked strong reactions from consumers, including some prominent names calling for boycotts. Kid Rock posted a video of himself shooting cases of Bud Light, while country music star Travis Tritt removed Bud Light from his tour.
Bud Light has remained silent on social media since the backlash began on April 1
The brand’s only response has been a statement issued to Fox News Digital on April 3, in which an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson said, “Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics. From time to time we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.”