"Do a run of cans with the apology printed on it": Bud Light camo cans come under fire in wake of Dylan Mulvaney controversy

By Nirali Sheth

Modified May 18, 2023 04:57 GMT

Anheuser-Busch to temporarily redesign packaging for Bud Light and Budweiser (Image via Instagram/@buflight, @budweiserisa)

Anheuser-Busch, the parent company for troubled beer brands Bud Light and Budweiser, is set to temporarily redesign its packaging in order to boost its dwindling sales. According to a report by the New York Post, both brands are set to launch camouflage-printed aluminum bottles as part of their Folds of Honor campaign.

The marketing campaign aims to provide educational scholarships for families of disabled or fallen American military personnel or first responders.

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The move comes after mass boycotts by conservative consumers who protested Bud Light's decision to choose trans activist and influencer Dylan Mulvany to promote their products back in March 2023. Additionally, they sent her a personalized Bud Light can to commemorate 365 days of her being a woman.

Following the boycotts, sales for the beer brand dropped by 23.6% for the first week of May as compared to a year ago and they continue to decline. Furthermore, several company warehouses have received bomb threats.

A month after the controversy and demands to fire people behind the move, two top marketing executives responsible for the campaign from both Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch went on a leave of absence. However, the brands continued to lose millions in sales.

New York Post adds that Anheuser-Busch, in an effort to do damage control, held a meeting with distributors at their St. Louis headquarters to figure a way out of the controversy. This week, Budweiser released limited-edition cans in partnership with Harley Davidson Motorcycles.

News of the camo cans left internet users unimpressed.

A comment reacting to the news (Image via Twitter/ @)

"Just go out of business": Netizens react to news of Bud Light camo cans

As news of Bud Light camouflage print packaging spread, internet users were quick to dismiss the campaign, calling it a desperate attempt" to win back its core audience. Some even called it "pathetic pandering" and "manipulating."

Twitterati demanded that the company should honestly apologize and "stick to making beer," instead of hiding from the consequences of their own actions. Many felt "insulted" and stated that the brand is already canceled and everyone should just move on.

Bud Light, Budweiser, and AB have yet to make a statement on the news.

About the author

Nirali has been a popular culture writer at Sportskeeda for the past 1.5 years, covering celebrity/influencer trends and profile/histories, political news, crime reports, and lifestyle. She completed her Bachelor's in Architecture from University of Mumbai and Masters in Heritage Conservation from University of Southern California. Professionally, Nirali has a strong 7.5-year experience working as an architect, an Assistant Archivist and a Digital Archivist across three companies.

Nirali’s educational qualifications and unique career trajectory put great emphasis on research and writing, which along with her personal interest in popular culture, led her to the current role at Sportskeeda. Her specialties are researching histories, crime stories, and developing general knowledge pieces.

The most crucial step in Nirali’s reporting is rigorous fact-checking, and she relies on information from primary sources only for her news. In the absence of a primary source, Nirali double, and even triple-checks information from multiple sources before presenting them to her readers. Strictly anti-AI, she believes in giving credits wherever necessary.

Nirali’s favorite celebrities are Mark Ruffalo and Dolly Parton, and she admires them for their support of humanity and advocacy for what is right. An avid reader, Nirali can be found nose-deep in a new book when she is away from her keyboard. Nirali also loves to illustrate in her free time.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande