Anheuser-Busch executives have appeared to have dismissed reports that the company had fired two top marketing executives blamed for Bud Light’s disastrous Dylan Mulvaney campaign.
The Daily Caller reported Tuesday that the beer giant had officially fired Daniel Blake, the group’s marketing vice president, and Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s marketing vice president, citing text messages with an unidentified regional marketing head at the company.
Blake and Heinerscheid reportedly took a “leave of absence” amid backlash over their decision to feature the trans-TikToker in a March Madness commercial.
And when asked about it earlier this month, a friend of Heinerscheid’s said: “She shouldn’t talk about it, she can’t.”
But in a statement to , a spokesman for Anheuser-Busch said both are still “on leave.”
Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s marketing vice president, and Daniel Blake, group vice president of marketing, are said to be on furlough
Her departure came amid backlash over a controversial March Madness ad featuring trans TikToker Dylan Mulvaney
“Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take time off, which we support,” the rep said, adding that Daniel is also “taking time off”.
“In the interests of the safety and privacy of our employees, we are not providing any additional information.”
The statement is reminiscent of what Anheuser-Busch executives said in April when it was announced that the two heads of marketing had “decided” to step down temporarily.
“Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence, which we support.” Also, “Daniel has decided to take some time off,” the company said at the time.
However, questions lingered about their sudden departures in the aftermath, particularly when Anheuser-Busch executives later claimed the decision to work with Mulvaney was made by an “outside agency without management’s knowledge or approval.”
Reports circulated Tuesday that Heinerscheid and Blake had been officially fired from their positions at Anheuser-Busch, as an unidentified company source told the Daily Caller that executives merely claimed they were “on leave” to face a lawsuit to escape.
“As far as I know, if we publicly announce the word ‘fire’, they have the potential to sue us. “That’s why we’ve come out in favor of a furlough,” the source said, adding, “The wholesalers would have had an absolute HAY DAY with the leadership if they hadn’t been fired.” [Heinerscheid].’
“In face-to-face meetings, the wholesalers were told by the leadership that they were both gone for good,” the source claimed. “They have already moved all of their direct reports to new people and the head of marketing.
He added that he thinks Blake is “really great.”
“I think he just got caught.” [the] “Crossfire,” the source said. “But he also hired her… so that’s a mistake.”
When approached her for claiming she had no idea about the campaign, Heinerscheid (left) declined to comment – but a friend said: “She can’t talk about it” before being taken away
It’s unclear if Heinerscheid is on paid leave from the company, but she joined in 2022 and vowed to refresh the image
Blake has been with Anheuser-Busch for nine years and led marketing for Bud Light and Budweiser.
He served as Group VP of Marketing for Budweiser and Value Brands before being promoted to Group Vice President of Anheuser-Busch Mainstream Brands in May 2022. He also served at the company as vice president for the company’s value brands.
In his position, Blake was responsible for hiring Heinerscheid to overhaul Bud Light’s marketing in June 2022, with a vision to refresh the image.
Just months before the company released its controversial ad, Blake heralded a “new era for Bud Light” when he published an article about the beer’s “slick” decision to feature a female protagonist in its Super Bowl ad.
A recent post on LinkedIn also talked about how “everyone is connected by the same American Spirit values and of course by Budweiser.”
During a podcast appearance days before the Mulvaney partnership was announced, Heinerscheid said Bud Light was on the decline when she took the helm last summer, but plans to put the ship back on track
Heinerscheid, meanwhile, in an interview just days before the release of the Dylan Mulvaney ad, announced her strategy of ditching Bud Light’s reputation as “Fratty” and focusing on inclusivity to attract a younger generation of drinkers.
“I am a businesswoman. “When I took over Bud Light, I had a really clear job to do, and it was that this brand is on the decline,” she said.
“It’s been in decline for a very long time. And unless we get young drinkers to drink this brand, there will be no future for Bud Light.
“So I had this super clear brief. It’s like we need to evolve and upgrade this incredibly iconic brand.
“What does ‘develop’ and ‘increase’ mean? It means inclusivity. It means changing the tone. It means having a campaign that’s truly inclusive and feels lighter, brighter, and different. And appeals to both women and men.
“And representation. Is it the heart of evolution, so to speak? You have to see people who reflect you in your work.
“And we had this hangover. “I mean, ‘Bud Light’ was a kind of dour, kind of aloof humor, and it was really important that we had a different approach,” she said.
In a previous interview with Forbes, she gave the same assignment.
“As the first woman at the helm of the largest beer brand in the world, it’s a great opportunity to really evolve and differentiate Bud Light, this brand I love.”
“We want this campaign to feel different, lighter and brighter, with confidence and appeal, and it’s really important to portray real people and real places,” she said.
“What I have to do to help this brand grow…that’s my passion.”
Heinerscheid’s job was taken over by Todd Allen, who most recently served as Budweiser’s global vice president.
The once-popular beer company experienced its worst sales week since teaming up with 26-year-old Mulvaney to celebrate her 365th day as a girl, posting a 26.8 percent drop in the week of June 10
But Bud Light continues to suffer the effects of Dylan Mulvaney’s marketing campaign. For the week ended June 10, sales fell 26.8 percent, the worst weekly performance since the advert began in April.
That’s an even deeper drop from the week ended June 3, which was down 24.4 percent, according to Bump Williams Consulting and NielsenIQ. The new low beats the previous low – a drop of almost 26 percent – for the week ending May 25.
This comes after Bud Light lost its title as America’s best-selling beer to Modelo, a Mexican lager brewed by Grupo Modelo — also owned by bud-maker Anheuser-Busch.
Anheuser-Busch’s other US brands — including Budweiser, Michelob Ultra and Natural Light — have also seen significant sales declines since the controversy. Bud is down 10 percent, while Natty Light and Michelob are down 2.3 and 2.4 percent, respectively.