In response to the uproar over Bud Light’s association with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney last year, the brand recently revealed a new strategy by partnering with a comedian known for his conservative leanings. This move comes as Bud Light has experienced a significant drop in market share, losing about one-third since the Mulvaney deal was announced in April.
The comedian, who is gaining popularity and recently endorsed by Dave Chapelle and featured on the Joe Rogan Experience, expressed excitement about joining the “team” and being part of Bud Light’s 2024 tour. The announcement on Instagram featured the hashtag #budlightpartner.
Despite a brief stint on Saturday Night Live cut short due to accusations of past racial jokes, the comedian has been a rising star. Last year, he humorously contemplated rebranding Bud Light’s image during a podcast hosted by Joe Rogan. Rogan suggested the comedian as the ideal spokesperson for the company.
In the jesting banter, the comedian emphasized there’s no shame in drinking Bud Light and even playfully threatened to switch to Coors unless the brand paid him. Rogan proposed a marketing idea involving a frog meme holding the beer with the caption “Feels Bad Man.” There was also a humorous suggestion that the company should compensate him with a mere “$50.”
Bud Light’s New Poster Boy: Shane Gillis pic.twitter.com/yxGPQViEtt
— The Comments Section with Brett Cooper (@CommentsSection) February 1, 2024
Since the controversial partnership with Mulvaney, Bud Light has seen a nearly 30% decline in overall sales. In contrast, competitors like Coors Light experienced over a 12% boost in sales, Miller Lite’s sales increased by almost 7%, and Yuengling Light witnessed a remarkable surge of more than 72%.
In an effort to recover, Bud Light recently signed a major marketing deal with the UFC and intensified advertising with the NFL. The brand aims to regain favor among consumers with its new collaboration with the conservative-leaning comedian.
