In an effort to pivot and regain its market share, Bud Light is shifting its advertising strategy to target male consumers. The company recently released a new ad featuring Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce. This retro-themed commercial is a response to the conservative backlash that the beer brand faced earlier this year due to its marketing campaign with transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney.
Titled “Backyard Grunts with Travis Kelce,” the ad showcases Kelce and other men dressed in casual summer attire, seated in lawn chairs, and emitting grunts and groans. As they settle into their seats, some of them crack open cans of Bud Light.
This latest ad comes at a crucial time for parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev, which is working to recover from a decline in Bud Light sales that saw the brand lose its position as America’s top-selling beer. Following the marketing misstep with Mulvaney, Bud Light faced a boycott from certain consumers, particularly conservatives who objected to the promotion’s featured trans woman.
Brendan Whitworth, the CEO of Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI), recently revealed that the company is providing financial assistance to distributors and wholesalers impacted by the sales dip caused by Mulvaney’s viral Bud Light promo video. ABI plans to triple its investment in Bud Light this year to support its upcoming summer campaign and prepare for the NFL season.
“Over the last month, we’ve engaged with over 100,000 consumers, and their feedback is clear. They want Bud Light to embody good times, goodwill, and easy enjoyment,” said Whitworth.
The new ad attempts to appeal to this sentiment by showcasing middle-aged men enjoying backyard parties and other laid-back settings. However, it remains uncertain whether this approach will win back conservative drinkers who have turned to other brands. Many of the comments on the YouTube video are critical or negative, indicating that the ad may not be well-received by all viewers. In addition, the ad does not acknowledge or address the concerns of the LGBTQ community, who have also boycotted Bud Light.
Mark Robertson, co-owner of 2Bears Tavern Group in Chicago, shared his decision to remove all Anheuser Busch InBev products from their menu, stating, “They kept making efforts to appease those who spread hate.”
Last week, Mulvaney spoke out about the controversy, expressing disappointment in Bud Light’s lack of support and failure to reach out following the backlash. In a video, she stated, “For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse, in my opinion, than not hiring a trans person at all. It gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want.”
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