Bud Light was once a staple of American culture – something that immediately sprung to mind somebody thought of America.
Though, after over two decades, Bud Light is no longer the best-selling beer in the US.
According to CBS News, Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) sold $297 million worth of the beer for the four weeks ending May 28 – a 23% drop from the same time period the year before.
News of Bud Light’s significant drop in sales comes after the beer company became the focal point of a deeply divided debate after sending 26-year-old transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney a personalized can of its product.
Mexican brand Modelo Especial has taken over Bud Light as America’s top beer. Credit: Daniel Boczarski/Getty
So what beer now sits at the top spot? That would be the Mexican beer brand Modelo Especial – garnering a whopping $333 million in sales, which is a 15% increase for the brand from 2022.
The controversy surrounding Bud Light started earlier this year following a brand partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Mulvaney took her Instagram on April 1 to share a promotional video of her dressed up as Audrey Hepburn and drinking the beverage. The ad was also to promote its March Madness competition, which happened to fall around the same time as Mulvaney celebrating her first year of being a woman since transitioning.
The influencer had taken photos of commemorative cans the company sent to her with her face on them as a way to celebrate the “365 Days of Girlhood” milestone she reached.
Numerous conservative celebrities – including Kid Rock and Bri Teresi – took to social media to denounce the campaign, with the latter even shooting cans of the beer as an act of defiance.
Not long after the backlash, Anheuser-Busch’s Global CEO, Michel Doukeris, said that they were still experiencing conservative backlash over the episode, especially because it was believed that the ad with Mulvaney was part of a long-term partnership. “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer,” he said in a statement.
Though, the company’s attempt to distance itself from the campaign caused even more backlash, this time from the LGBTQ+ community, who felt that the company’s support was just another case of corporate “rainbow-washing”. In fact, certain bars even removed all Anheuser-Busch products from their menus.
Constellation Brands, the company behind the US’ new number-one beer Modelo Especial told Newsweek that they were surprised that they’d jumped to the top spot so swiftly.
Bill Newlands, the chief executive officer of Constellation, said the four-week jump had happened “quicker than we had anticipated.”
He added: “We thought that would take a little longer. We’ve been very fortunate that, that’s gone a little quicker than we had anticipated. But what a great position to be in on the beer side.”