US2 min(s) read
Published 11:00 29 Jun 2023 GMT
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth has responded to questions about working with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney again during an interview with CBS Mornings.
The company - which is responsible for the popular beer brand Bud Light - was faced with a slew of questions during the interview about whether their controversial partnership with Mulvaney was a mistake and whether they would work with her again in the future.
Bud Light was recently replaced as the best-selling beer in America after it was met with intense criticism from conservative Americans after 26-year-old transgender activist Mulvaney received a personalized can of its product.
She took her Instagram on April 1 to share a promotional video of her dressed up as Audrey Hepburn and drinking the beverage to promote Bud Light's March Madness competition. It also happened to fall around the same time Mulvaney celebrated her first year as a woman.
Following the post, Bud Light ended up losing its place as the best-selling beer across the US. In fact, according to CBS News, Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) sold $297 million worth of the beer for the four weeks ending May 28 - a 23% drop from the same time period the year before. After 22 years, Bud Light was knocked out of first place by Mexican beer brand Modelo Especial.
When asked about whether Anheuser-Busch had made a mistake in partnering with Mulvaney, Brendan Whitworth said: "Just to be clear, it was a gift and it was one can."
The CBS hosts then pressed Whitworth for a more direct answer on whether they would send more cans of Bud Light to Mulvaney with her image on it, and also where the company stands in regard to "queer rights". Whitworth kept his response vague, saying (via Fox News): "There's a big social conversation going on right now. It's moved away from beer," adding: "Bud Light doesn't belong in this divisive conversation."
The 46-year-old CEO also took the opportunity to highlight the company's 25-year history of supporting the LGBTQ community. "We will continue to support the communities and organizations that we have supported for decades," he continued, before the hosts questioned why Anheuser-Busch has given donations to anti-LGBTQ politicians.
"We support politicians who support our business and allow us to grow," Whitworth - a former marine and operations officer with the CIA - replied.
As for the future of Anheuser-Busch, Whitworth revealed that they're investing three times the amount on the Bud Light brand this year compared to 2022, adding that the company is giving financial support to its distributors. "Money has gone out already," he said.
