A video showing unsold packs of Bud Light and Budweiser has gone viral on social media, amid conservatives' ongoing boycott of Anheuser-Busch's products.
In recent months, the number of large U.S. brands being targeted with boycott calls has grown dramatically, as a host of different companies unveil products supporting Pride Month, which takes place every June. Companies supporting the LGBTQ+ community outside of Pride Month have also faced backlash from conservatives.
Bud Light was initially targeted in April for a small branded partnership it had with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. In a video posted to Instagram on April 1, Mulvaney said that the beer brand had sent her a can with her face on it to commemorate 365 days of her living as a woman.
Mulvaney's partnership with Bud Light drew condemnation from several conservative figures, including Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw. Many issued calls for a boycott of the beer brand and there has been overt scrutiny of an increasing number of companies over their pro-LGBTQ+ marketing initiatives.
Amid the fallout and reports of plummeting sales, some Bud Light executives took a leave of absence, including marketing head Alissa Heinerscheid and Daniel Blake, who oversees marketing for Anheuser-Busch's mainstream brands.
The furor reflects anti-transgender sentiment that has been growing in the U.S., with bills targeting the rights of transgender people having been embraced by Republican governors and statehouses across the country.
In recent weeks, a number of social media users have shared photos and videos of unsold Bud Light on store shelves and at venues, in a bid to illustrate the purported success of their boycott of the beer brand.
This week, social media personality Joey Mannarino shared video footage that he said was taken at a store in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In the clip, which has been viewed more than 30,000 times, a range of beer brands were shown on shelves, though Mannarino described them all as "sold out" with the exception of the Anheuser-Busch products.
Some brands appeared to have been almost completely absent from the store's fridges and there were more Bud Light and Budweiser products on display than those of any competitors.
After using a vulgar term to describe Bud Light, Mannarino wrote: "I've been on a road trip most of the weekend and stopping in everywhere I get gas to check the stock. Bud Light isn't selling AT ALL. THE BOYCOTT IS IN FULL EFFECT!"
Expressing support for the demise of the brand, former Republican congressional candidate Lavern Spicer tweeted in response: "Dylan destroyed that brand. Never again will it recover."
While her sentiment reflected those of many other Twitter users commenting on Mannarino's post, a number of detractors also weighed in on the video.
"Please leave my town," one Bowling Green resident told Mannarino. "We are accepting of the LGBTQ+ community and we don't like bigots coming here to spread their hate."
Mulvaney has earned more than $1 million through promoting brands on social media, according to the New York Post. These companies cover everything from fashion and skincare to grocery shopping.
However, her partnership with Bud Light in April has captured headlines, with the collaboration leading to boycotts, derision and furor among conservatives.
At the time, a spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch told Newsweek that the "commemorative" can was typical of its work with "hundreds of influencers" across its brands. They said it was "one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics."
The spokesperson added that the commemorative can "was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public."
Mulvaney broke her silence on the furor in a video shared on Instagram on April 28.
"What I'm struggling to understand is the need to dehumanize and to be cruel," she told her followers. "I don't think that's right. You know, dehumanization has never fixed anything in history ever.
"I'm embarrassed to even tell you this, but I was nervous that you were going to start believing those things that they were saying about me, since it is so loud. But I'm just gonna go ahead and trust that the people who know me and my heart won't listen to that noise."
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.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
