Fact Check: Is the lol crybabies Bud Light Billboard real? Advertising controversy explained

Bud Light is now making headlines for supposedly slamming their critics with a billboard advertisement. An image of a sign that read “lol CRYBABIES” has surfaced online amid the company’s recent LGBTQ controversy. Many believed that the Anheuser Busch brand was clapping back at their haters by calling them the aforementioned phrase. However, the company has clarified that they did not put up this billboard and that the original image had been altered.

The billboard went viral in light of Bud Light’s recent controversy that included trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The brand’s conservative customer base was unhappy about their collaboration with a member of the LGBTQ community, and this led to many claiming that the beer giant was going “woke.” They also called for a boycott of the brand.

Now, an image and video of a billboard which reads “lol CRYBABIES” has gone viral online. In the image, one can see the sign on top of a building on a city street. It featured the aforementioned phrase next to a can of Bud Light. The post was quick to go viral and amassed tens of thousands of likes by Friday.

Many began to celebrate the new advertisement. Twitter user @AmoneyResists wrote online:

“Gotta say, I’m a fan of the new Bud Light billboards.”

However, the content going viral online is not real. No Bud Light advertisements which have been created to this date included the phrase “lol CRYBABIES” in it.

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The “lol CRYBABIES” Bud Light billboard is not real

An executive from Branded Cities, the advertising organization who owns the billboard mentioned, confirmed with AP that the image going viral is not real. Although the blue background seen in the picture is similar to the real billboard, the image has been altered. In reality, the billboard reads:

“All these and more only on Disney +”

Netizens wrote online that the Bud Light billboard is located in Toronto.

In response, Toby Sturek, the president of Branded Cities’ Canadian division told AP:

“Our billboard was altered in the images that have been circulating on social media.”

Sturek also added that the billboard features an advertisement for Disney + in reality, which has reportedly been up for a week.

At the time of writing this article, Anheuser Busch had not responded to the viral billboard photo.

The company has been the subject of various rumors since their controversial Dylan Mulvaney advertisement made headlines. Some speculated that the organization fired their marketing team, while others claimed that the CEO stepped down following the backlash.

As animosity towards the company continues to grow, it has been revealed that Anheuser Busch’s facilities have been subjected to threats. Los Angeles police confirmed that they responded to a bomb threat at one of the Anheuser Busch Van Nuys breweries and conducted a sweep.

Meanwhile, it has also been reported that Alissa Heinerscheid, a senior marketing executive who was behind the now-infamous Dylan Mulvaney ad, has taken a leave of absence. Recently, in an interview with Make Yourself At Home, she shared that she wanted to help the company transform from its “fratty” brand to something more inclusive.