Trans activist Dylan Mulvaney has hit back at critics of her Bud Light campaign, insisting they “don’t get her” and have “targeted” her for being newly trans.
Speaking on Rosie O’Donnell’s podcast, Mulvaney, who has just finished “365 days of girlhood,” said, “The reason I think I’m so… I’m an easy target is because I’m so new to it.
“I think it’s a lot harder to go after a trans woman who’s been doing it for like 20 years. I think maybe they think there’s a chance with me… But what’s their goal?
“These people don’t understand me and everything I do or say is kind of taken out of context and used against me and it’s so sad because everything I’m trying to say is positive.
“It’s trying to connect with others who might not understand me. It’s supposed to make people laugh or make a kid feel seen.”
While Mulvaney has shrugged off the criticism, the sting appears more sustainable for Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light’s parent company, which has lost $3 billion in market cap in recent days.
Dylan Mulvaney, pictured yesterday, hits back at critics of her Bud Light campaign, saying anyone who doesn’t like her “don’t get her”.
In the past five days, Anheuser-Busch’s stock price has fallen, cutting the company’s market cap by a total of $3 billion
The beer giant was worth $132 billion as of March 31 — its highest market cap all year — after a string of well-received ads like the Super Bowl commercial starring Miles Teller and his wife.
Mulvaney’s partnership ended on April 1st.
On April 3rd, Bud Light fans began sharing their dislike for it. Kid Rock heightened her anger when he released a video of crates of the beer being rotated the same day.
Then country stars Travis Tritt and John Rich publicly denounced the brand. There were also rumors of exhausted sales over the Easter weekend.
Yesterday, Anheuser-Busch stock fell to $64.96 – taking $3 billion off the company’s total value.
The marketing team that oversaw the campaign, including Vice President of Marketing Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid, remains in place.
Anheuser-Busch also stands by the campaign.
Mulvaney shared the personalized beer can campaign on her Instagram page on April 1
It comes after backlash the company received after beer giant Bud Light celebrated polarizing trans activist Dylan Mulvaney in a new promotion
The company has been hit with a spate of complaints, with many customers filming themselves dumping the liquid
In a statement after the initial setback, the company tried to reassure conservative consumers with a statement.
“Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across diverse demographics and passion points.
“From time to time we produce unique keepsake tins for fans and brand influencers like Dylan Mulvaney.
“This commemorative tin was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not available to the general public.”
Heinerscheid, the head of marketing hired last year to overhaul Bud Light’s image, wanted to lead a female, inclusive revolution at the brand.
She proudly spoke of prioritizing women in Bud Light’s ads, adding “inclusivity” as a priority.
Alissa Heinerscheid, the brand’s newly hired marketing vice president, shared her new vision for Bud Light late last month and has since been rebuffed by customers
“I am a business woman. I had a really clear job to do when I took over Bud Light and it was that this brand is on the decline. It’s been in decline for a really 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 assignment.
“It’s like we need to evolve and elevate this incredibly iconic brand.
“What does ‘develop’ and ‘increase’ mean? It means inclusion. It means shifting the tone. It means having a campaign that’s truly inclusive and feels lighter and brighter and different.
“And appeals to both women and men,” she said in a March 30 interview.
Since taking the stage in July, Heinerscheid has run several commercials as part of a push to empower women – one of which features a dancing Miles Teller and his wife
This desire was felt in a February commercial titled “The Bud Light Carry,” in which a female protagonist, after buying her friends a round of beers, successfully carried the glasses to their friends without spilling a drop