In the United States, almost everything is political, including now beer. The hugely popular Bud Light brand has been in the storm since a partnership with a transgender influencer.

This inexpensive drink is sold everywhere, from sporting events to concerts. One of the most popular in the United States, it has a typically American image that conservatives like.

A personalized can for the first anniversary of "her gender transition"

It all starts in early April, with a promotional video: an influencer, Dylan Mulvaney, appears in front of the camera in the publication on her Instagram account, a Bud Light in hand. She says she received a personalized can, with her face on it, from Anheuser-Busch InBev's brand to celebrate the one-year anniversary of her gender transition. "I'm celebrating my 365th day as a girl, and Bud Light sent me what might just be the greatest gift in the world," she says with a smile.


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The 26-year-old actress, influencer and activist has some notoriety on social networks (10 million followers on TikTok) without being a must-have star, and the publication could have gone unnoticed. Except that Dylan Mulvaney, who speaks very openly about his transition and defends LGBT+ rights, represents everything the Conservatives hate.

Boycott of country stars, in bars and restaurants

For the right, heated white on issues of gender identity, Bud Light makes a mistake by becoming a "trans beer" and must be boycotted. Country stars then lead the attack. For example, artist Riley Green replaced the name Bud Light with one of his competitors in one of his songs during a concert in mid-April. The very famous Kid Rock posts a video where he promises a "clear and concise" answer to the controversy. Cap with the Trumpist logo on his head, he turns, holds a semi-automatic rifle... and riddles Bud Light packs with bullets.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the darling of Republicans tipped for the 2024 presidential election, also vowed Monday that he will no longer drink Bud Light, refusing to support "woke companies".

The controversy quickly went beyond the political sphere. Bars said they were following the boycott, mostly in Republican states. John Rich, country singer and owner of a bar in the festive city of Nashville, explained on Fox News that he has "crates and crates" of Bud Light lying around, for lack of orders from customers. And, in Florida, the restaurant Grills Seafood assumes no longer serving this beer "because of their support for something that is totally contrary to our biblical values," in a Facebook post.

The M&M's brand has already paid the price

In recent days, Anheuser-Busch InBev has launched a counter-offensive by broadcasting an advertisement with a very strong patriotic flavor, with typically American landscapes and, of course, the inevitable flag of the United States. The boss, Brendan Whitworth, also issued an apology statement that appeared to satisfy no one. "We never intended to enter into a debate that divides people," he said, without directly citing the controversy.

This is not the first time that a brand has been criticized for a partnership that is too "woke". M&M's paid the price in January by wanting to make the mascots of its treats more inclusive. But uproar on Twitter doesn't always translate into lower sales, says Jura Liaukonyte, an economics professor at Cornell University's Dyson School. "It's easy to talk, but it's harder to act." "It's very complicated for a boycott movement to be effective in the long run," she said, based on previous examples of campaigns she has studied.

  • Beer
  • Transgender
  • Advertising
  • Instagram
  • Social Media
  • Boycott
  • USA
  • By the Web