According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, is offering free beer to distributors as a way of making up for the negative impact of the brand’s recent partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. In addition to the free beer, Anheuser-Busch is planning to increase marketing spending and launch new ad campaigns to improve Bud Light’s image. The company’s distributors have been hit hardest by the decrease in sales caused by the backlash to the Mulvaney partnership.

Mulvaney, a transgender female who was assigned male at birth, posted videos on social media promoting Bud Light in April, which included customized beer cans sent by the company to celebrate “365 days of girlhood.” The partnership with Mulvaney drew criticism from conservatives who accused Bud Light of promoting transgender ideology. The backlash intensified when a video surfaced of a Bud Light marketing executive discussing plans to update the brand’s image.

Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth stated that the company did not intend to divide people, and Mulvaney responded to the criticism in a video posted on April 28, denouncing those who “dehumanize” her. Prior to the Bud Light partnership, Mulvaney met with President Biden to advocate for transgender procedures for minors.

Source: Wall Street Journal