Anheuser-Busch is reportedly planning a temporary redesign of the packaging of some Budweiser and Bud Light products as the brands continue to suffer from lagging sales following the company’s controversial partnership with Dylan Mulvaney.
A temporary redesign of the aluminum bottles of Bud and Bud Light will feature a camouflage print as a tribute to the ‘Folds of Honor’ charity, which provides scholarships to the children of deceased and disabled service members and first responders, a source told The Daily Mail. New York Post.
The plan was reportedly unveiled at a meeting last week at Anheuser-Busch’s US headquarters in St. Louis, where executives briefed distributors on backlash response plans against Bud Light.
A distributor who spoke to the Post said the camouflage print will likely only be applied to the aluminum bottles of the two beers, but said it’s possible the temporary redesign will be applied to other formats. packaging.
A spokesperson for Anheuser-Bush did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com on Tuesday evening.
According to a new report, a temporary redesign of the aluminum bottles of Bud and Bud Light will feature a camouflage print as a tribute to the ‘Folds of Honor’ charity.
The plan was reportedly unveiled at a meeting last week at Anheuser-Busch’s US headquarters in St. Louis (above), where executives briefed distributors
The reported revamp comes as the brewing giant continues to suffer a sales slump for its flagship Bud Light brand.
Long the top-selling beer in the United States, Bud Light posted a 23.6% drop in sales from a year ago for the week ending May 6, according to Bump data. Williams Consulting.
That roughly matched the 23.3% year-on-year decline seen the previous week, marking a worrying trend for the brewery, if it persists.
The conservative backlash against Bud Light began on April 1, when transgender influencer Mulvaney posted a video of herself opening a Bud Light on her Instagram page.
She showed off a can with her face on it that Bud Light sent her – one of the many corporate gifts she receives and shares with her millions of followers through brand partnerships.
Three days after Mulvaney’s post, musician Kid Rock posted a video of himself spinning cases of Bud Light, and several country music stars publicly denounced the brand, accusing Anheuser-Busch of wading into it. political and cultural issues.
On the other side of the issue, Anheuser-Busch also faced backlash from some pro-LGBT advocates for appearing to disavow the Mulvaney partnership and leave the trans influencer alone amid the backlash.
Several gay bars have vowed to stop selling Bud Light and other Anheuser-Busch products due to the company’s handling of the issue.
The planned camouflage redesign is a tribute to the charity ‘Folds of Honor’, which offers scholarships to children of deceased and disabled military personnel and first responders
Founded in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded more than 44,000 scholarships (file photo)
Weeks after the controversy, two Anheuser-Busch marketing executives took time off.
Bud Light’s European parent company said earlier this month it would triple its US marketing spend this summer as it tries to boost plummeting sales.
But on a call with investors, Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Michel Doukeris also played down the impact of the backlash, saying lower Bud Light sales in the U.S. in the first three weeks April accounted for just 1% of InBev’s global volumes.
Doukeris did not mention Mulvaney on the investor call, but hit out at what he called “misinformation” about the promotion.
The cans featuring Mulvaney weren’t made to be sold to the general public, for example, but were a personal gift for the influencer.
“It was a box, an influencer, a message and not a campaign,” he said.
After several weeks of silence on social media, Mulvaney posted a video to his Instagram page earlier this month thanking supporters, but also not mentioning Bud Light by name.
“What I struggle to understand is the need to dehumanize and be cruel. I don’t think that’s fair,” she said. and believe that the people who know me and my heart won’t listen to that noise.”
The conservative backlash against Bud Light began on April 1, when transgender influencer Mulvaney posted a video of herself opening a Bud Light on her Instagram page.
Earlier this week, Republican members of Congress joined the debate, criticizing Anheuser-Busch for allegedly wading into politics.
Republican Ralph Norman has hit back at the company for its decision to ask Mulvaney, 26, to promote its product.
Norman told Fox News, “If there’s a case for any company to stay clear of this type of issue, they made beer the last time I checked.”
“They don’t do politics. If they want to do politics, get into politics. If they believe in it so strongly.
Norman continued, “There are plenty of former Bud Light consumers who will never drink another Bud Light beer in their lives, including me.”
Republican Mark Alford also told the news site, “Any time companies step in on issues involving culture and revival, it’s a big risk.”
