Bud Light loses top spot in US sales after transgender influencer boycott

Bud Light has lost its status as the top-selling beer in the United States following a boycott, according to recent data. Sales dropped by nearly 25% in the four weeks leading up to June 3, as reported by consulting firm Bump Williams. The boycott began after transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney shared a photo of a personalised Bud Light can on social media, leading some US consumers to stop purchasing the beer. As a result, Modelo Especial has now claimed the top spot, accounting for 8.4% of US beer sales by value during this period.

Despite the recent decline, Bud Light maintained its position as the best-selling beer in America for the first five months of the year, based on an analysis by Bump Williams using data from research firm Nielsen. However, sales began to slump in April after Mulvaney posted the image of the personalised Bud Light can that the company had sent her. The promotion sparked backlash from conservative commentators, politicians, and celebrities, with musician Kid Rock, NFL player Trae Waynes, and model Bri Teresi all sharing videos of themselves shooting Bud Light cans.

This boycott led to a drop in share prices for Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, and resulted in two executives being placed on leave. Brendan Whitworth, the CEO of AB InBev’s North American business, stated on April 14: “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.”

In response to the controversy, new Bud Light advertisements were released, featuring iconic American imagery such as the US flag and horses galloping across open country. Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Michel Doukeris addressed the situation during a call with investors on May 4, stating: “We need to clarify the facts that this was one can, one influencer, one post and not a campaign.”

Doukeris added, “We are providing direct financial support to the frontline teams that work for us and our wholesalers as to Bud Light have significantly increased our investments behind the brand in the US.”