Eagle-eyed Americans following the Bud Light controversy have snapped photographs of inventory in stores that is being given away for a heavily discounted price or in some cases, completely for free.
Michael Haz, posting on Twitter from Wisconsin, showed followers a promotion at his local store where customers could purchase a case of the blue-collar beer for $15 before scanning a QR code for a $15 coupon. Fox News located a store in Nashua, New Hampshire which was offering a 30-can bundle of Bud for just $5 after redeeming the same rebate.
Displays seen in two different stores in Wisconsin, a state known for drinking a lot of beer: pic.twitter.com/x3vMD4Tp1r
— Haz (@Michael_Haz) May 24, 2023
The frothing fire sale comes amid a lengthy slump for Anheuser-Busch’s flagship brand after withering a torrent of criticism over its social media partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Conservative celebrities like Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, and Brantley Gilbert have shot down the beer — both figuratively and literally — as the backlash from the beer’s blue-collar former fans shows no sign of ebbing. Even former President Donald Trump should help but enjoy the schadenfreude as he kicked the brand while it is down.
In a hasty half-attempt at apologizing, Bud Light CEO Michel Doukeris blamed the brand’s drastic decline on “misinformation” surrounding its partnership with the transgender influencer, who U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) alleges was marketing alcohol to minors in violation of state and federal laws. The brew-haha has left Anheuser-Busch’s Southern distributors “spooked” about what the future holds for their profits as Bud Light has seen its sales decline by approximately one-quarter across the country.
Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s former Vice President for Marketing, initially defended her decision to shift the brand away from its “fratty” culture toward a more “inclusive” audience of younger beer drinkers. Just weeks after the controversy erupted and Heinerscheid refused to back down, Bud Light’s leadership announced she was taking a “leave of absence” from her front-and-center promotional role. To date, her whereabouts with the brand remain unknown.