Anheuser-Busch exec calls Bud Light controversy a ‘wake-up call’

An Anheuser-Busch executive is addressing the company’s recent controversial partnership with a transgender influencer, calling the situation a “wake-up call.”

The company partnered with Dylan Mulvaney in April on an Instagram ad that featured her posing with a personalized Bud Light can. The ad instantly drew backlash from conservatives, while Anheuser-Busch’s handling of that backlash was criticized by Mulvaney’s supporters and LGBTQ advocates, who felt the company did not stand firm in its backing of the influencer.

Bud Light sales have declined since the controversy. The company was ousted from its spot as the top-selling beer brand in May, with Mexican beer Modelo Especial overtaking it.

Bud Light falls from No. 1 US sales spot for first time in more than 20 years

Marcel Marcondes, Anheuser-Busch’s global chief marketing officer, said the situation has forced the company to think about how it can reconnect with its customers.

“When things get divisive and controversial so easily, I think it’s an important wake-up call to all of us marketers to be very humble,” Marcondes said at a conference Monday, according to CNN.

He asserted that the brand will restore its reputation.

“It’s coming back,” Marcondes said.

The Bud Light controversy came as a number of pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation have been passed in states around the country and as other big-name brands, including Target, have come under fire for their LGBTQ support.

Target stores in at least five states received bomb threats during one weekend earlier this month as the company faces backlash over its Pride merchandise.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.