The Bud Light marketing team has unveiled its latest effort to bolster sales amid an ongoing boycott—by giving away beer for free.
The Bud Light brand faced intense backlash after sending transgender influencer and activist Dylan Mulvaney a commemorative beer can with her face on it to celebrate the one-year anniversary of her transition into a woman in April. People were quick to boycott the beer brand, and Anheuser-Busch's response to the backlash only added fuel to the fire after it neither walked back the partnership nor spoke out in support of its LGBTQ+ consumers.
A spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light's parent company, told Newsweek last month that the company "works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics," adding that the commemorative can it had given to Mulvaney "was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public."
Meanwhile, Bud Light's sales and stock prices have dropped. Anheuser-Busch has deployed several potential efforts at smoothing the soured relationships, the latest of which offers customers a $15 rebate if they purchase a 15-count or larger pack of Budweiser, Bud Light, Budweiser Select or Budweiser Select 55. A 15-count of Bud Light can, at times, cost less than $15, making the beer free or greatly reduced in some areas.
The marketing campaign advertises that the special is because of Memorial Day. Qualifying purchases can be made through May 31, and the rebate, which launched May 17, will be paid through a digital prepaid card.
"Make your Memorial Day weekend easier to enjoy," the advertisement for the rebate said.
It is not the first time the company has given out free beer since the boycott began. Earlier this month, Bud Light offered free cases of beer to wholesalers—one per employee. The brand also promised to commit more funding to its marketing department, but sales have continued to drop nationwide. One wholesaler in Alabama even issued a public plea in a radio ad to convince angry customers to return to the brand, adding that he himself didn't agree with the brand's decision to partner with Mulvaney.
"We at Bama Budweiser, an independent wholesaler, employ around 100 people who live here, work here, and our children go to school here," Steve Tatum said in the ad. "We do not, and as I said before, did not support this issue involving Dylan Mulvaney. There was one single can made. It was not for sale and wasn't properly approved. As a result, the Bud Light brand has new leadership.
"Dylan Mulvaney is not under contract with Bud Light. The videos you may have seen are Mulvaney's own social media posts that went viral and many web-based news outlets have distorted the story. You deserve to know the truth, and life is too short to let a couple of individuals decide what you can eat or drink or spend your hard-earned money on. And remember, making friends is our business, not enemies."
Although Bud Light's sales have fallen for more than a month since April, sales for Bud Light competitors Miller Light and Coors Light have seen subsequent increases. In addition, the backlash over Bud Light continues to anger former customers, some of which have taken to annihilating cans of the beer by shooting them while on video.
Public figures who have decried Bud Light include Representative Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican, musician Kid Rock, and many others.
The row over transgender brand ambassadors is symbolic of a wider debate about the inclusion of transgender women in female issues and spaces. Some say transgender women should be treated the same as other women, while others say they are different and that hard-won women's rights must be protected.
The impact has also been felt by the LGBTQ+ community, with some transgender influencers seeing a drop in their partnership opportunities despite Pride month approaching in June.
Newsweek reached out to Anheuser-Busch by email for comment.