Damage Control: Budweiser Releases Heavily Patriotic New Ad in Wake of Dylan Mulvaney Controversy

Anheuser-Busch dropped a new and very patriotic ad on social media Friday as it continues to grapple with the controversy surrounding its partnership with transgender TikTok personality Dylan Mulvaney. The new spot features one of its famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses as it trots majestically across American landmarks like the Grand Canyon and the St. Louis Arch.

Watch:

pic.twitter.com/T3TVGEzIi0

— Budweiser (@budweiserusa) April 14, 2023

Although it was Bud Light, not Budweiser, that teamed with Mulvaney, they are both produced by the same company, Anheuser-Busch—and this is clearly an attempt to win back beer drinkers who were turned off by the Mulvaney affair. So far, the commercial seems to be garnering attention—it has over 39 million views on Twitter as of this writing.

The narrator describes the story of Budweiser as the Clydesdale crosses the Brooklyn Bridge and other landmarks, men sip beer and shake hands, and uplifting music plays:

I’m going to tell you a story. About a beer. Rooted in the heart of America, found in a community where a handshake is a sure contract. Brewed for those who found opportunity and challenge and hope—and tomorrow. Raised by generations. Willing to sit, share. Risk. Remember.

This is a story… Bigger than beer.

This is the story of the American spirit.

The formula is simple: a majestic horse, iconic landmarks, manly men, America—and beer. Noticeably, only one woman is featured in what’s otherwise an homage to brotherhood.

As I’ve reported, sales of Bud Light dropped after many became unhappy with the Mulvaney partnership, and Anheuser-Busch’s stock dipped—with the company at one point dropping $5 billion in market cap. However, the stock is still close to its 52-week highs and the beer giant does not seem in any serious financial jeopardy at this time.

Nevertheless, the episode has clearly spooked executives, as senior management admitted the campaign was “a mistake.” Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth even issued a statement reiterating the company’s support for the “fabric of the country.” However, it wasn’t really an apology and didn’t address the obvious elephant in the room—teaming with Mulvaney—and as RedState‘s Bonchie wrote, didn’t really make anyone happy.

Will this new ad mollify the critics? Not everyone will be easily swayed:

Budweiser release pro-American ad 2 weeks after Dylan Mulvaney backlash.

The new advert, comes after Anheuser-Busch CEO released a statement which failed to apologise for the backlash and instead talked about traditional values and being pro-America.

pic.twitter.com/G2JhzcNQRR

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 16, 2023

Another Twitter user claimed he’d never drink A-B products again:

My favorite advertisement by a mile was the Clydesdales after 9/11. It was absolute perfection. After your embrace of the trans agenda, glorifying a man looking for his 15 mins of fame by mocking women. I will never buy, drink or serve your beer again. #BoycottAnheuserBusch

— 🇺🇸America First Stacy🇺🇸 (@Discoveringme40) April 15, 2023

A-B and Bud Light may recover from this brouhaha without any serious harm done to the corporation’s financials. Still, it was a bizarre misstep for an outfit known for its viral advertisements. As I wrote last week:

Bud Light is a blue-collar beer, a brewski that guys and gals like to drink when watching sports or hanging out, a relatively cheap drink for young people who don’t want to blow twenty bucks on some hoppy IPA. No one claims it’s for connoisseurs. I’m betting most of its clientele is not made up of the kind of people who want to watch a biological male prance around in a dress, take bubble baths, and talk about their “girlhood,” and it looks like I’m right.

I like this commercial but wish they’d never stepped away from this type of thing in the first place. And while I appreciate the Clydesdale—I still don’t think I’m ready to grab a Bud.