Budweiser has released an advert infused with patriotic imagery, saying the beer is "rooted in the heart of America," following a backlash over a partnership with a transgender influencer and activist formed by sister brand Bud Light.
The ad comes after an open letter, released on Friday, by Brendan Whitworth, the CEO of parent company Anheuser-Busch, that said: "We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer."
Bud Light was the subject of calls on social media for a boycott earlier in April after it partnered with Dylan Mulvaney, who has documented her first year of transitioning to being a woman to her more than 10 million TikTok followers. The row has crystalized a broader debate about the acceptance of transgender individuals in public life.
Transgender rights and inclusion are issues that are proving deeply polarizing. A survey by the Pew Research Center last year found that 38 percent of Americans believed that society had gone too far in accepting transgender people, while 36 percent said it had not gone far enough.
Following calls for a boycott of Bud Light, supporters of Kari Lake, the Donald Trump-backed GOP candidate for Arizona Governor in 2022, refused to drink the beer brand at an open bar at a rally in Iowa. Meanwhile, a bar owner in Kentucky said he had noticed the drink sparking rows between patrons.
Since the controversy began, Anheuser-Busch's value on the stock market has dropped by as much as $4 billion—and that drop could be partly fueled by investor fears of a boycott of the brand. Bud Light had remained silent on its social media channels for nearly two weeks before Whitworth's letter proclaiming his responsibility "for ensuring every consumer feels proud of the beer we brew."
The new advert, released by Budweiser U.S.A. on Friday, features a horse galloping through rural scenes, past the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. and across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. It also shows an American flag being raised in slow motion, as well as a father and son sharing a beer on a porch and the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
"Let me 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 in challenge, and hope in tomorrow; raised by generations willing to sip, share, risk, remember," the advert's voiceover says over the imagery. "This is a story bigger than beer; this is the story of the American spirit."
It also features the St Louis Gateway Arch, a reference to the company's Missouri headquarters and its founding in the city in the 1850s. Its brewery there featured in an Instagram post on Friday, which said the company was "honored to be a part of the fabric of this country."
Sean Dodd, a translator, questioned the company's links with country communities, writing on Twitter that it was a "big-city brand, not some rural brewery." He added: "It is distressing to see the company pander to 'rural America' this way, while also dodging the underlying issue: recognition of the transgender community."
However, Robert Clark, a self-described retired soldier, responded: "To be fair, rural America is about 15 minutes east of the old Anheuser-Busch brewery on the river front, in Illinois' Metro East... Yeah, they're retreating back into a non-controversial safe place."
The ad has evidently attracted attention, with the video receiving 11.8 million views on Twitter as of 4 a.m. ET on Monday, and the tweet itself being seen 48.6 million times. Many have criticized the company, either for appearing to pander to those outraged by the Bud Light partnership, or for not doing enough to quell the outrage.
"Too late already! Damage is done!" responded Oli London, a media personality who has become critical of the transgender movement since deciding to detransition.
"They are doubling down on their pro American marketing efforts in an attempt to get people to forget their blunder," Mike Marugg wrote. "Smart play Budweiser but it's not going to work."
"Sorry... this ship has already sailed," Tim Kennedy, a retired UFC mixed martial artist who described himself as "unapologetically American, tweeted. "You should've supported the hard-working middle class that once were proud to kick back after a long day of work."
However, Alexander Goldschmidt said: "Trans people deserve our support and not some 'all lives matter' nothing statement marketing to try and take no side. Support Dylan Mulvaney just as she supported you."
Newsweek reached out to Anheuser-Busch via email for comment on Monday.
"Anheuser-Busch employs more than 18,000 people and our independent distributors employ an additional 47,000 valued colleagues," Whitworth said in his statement on Friday. "We have thousands of partners, millions of fans and a proud history supporting our communities, military, first responders, sports fans and hard-working Americans everywhere."
He added: "My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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