Bud Light’s attempt at a “safe” return to Twitter blew up spectacularly, as its painfully dull ad became the butt of the joke. Trying to erase past controversies and present a carefree summer vibe, the beer giant ended up with a PR disaster on its hands, sparking intense backlash from the anti-woke community.
In a misguided effort to cleanse their tarnished image, Bud Light decided to re-emerge on Twitter after a two-month hiatus. Their intention? Present a controversy-free, summer-themed ad to wash away any lingering bitterness from the infamous Dylan Mulvaney episode. The reality, however, was a sharp departure from their expectations. The ad, a montage of clumsy scenes of beer-spilling, near-falls, and water splashes, was, quite frankly, laughable.
Far from winning back their conservative audience, Bud Light seemed to have merely invited more ridicule upon themselves. Twitter users, notably the conservatives, took no time in pouncing upon this misstep, resulting in a barrage of scathing comments and retweets. The ad, aimed at promoting a ‘fun summer,’ ended up being an epic caricature of individuals making a mockery of themselves.
The social media platform was abuzz with derogatory memes and comments, with users such as Geoffrey Ingersoll suggesting that Bud Light would do better to “Go back to the 90s and mine your old content.” The Babylon Bee mocked a man drinking Bud Light, implying he must be in denial of his sexuality. Other users, like Brick Suit, could not separate the ad from the lingering specter of Dylan Mulvaney.
The onslaught was so severe that Bud Light resorted to hiding some of the replies, a move that did little to quell the mirth of their critics. DC_Draino was quick to highlight the ‘Hidden Replies,’ driving home the extent of Bud Light’s social media debacle.
In a bid to distance itself from controversy and wokeness, Bud Light ended up stepping right into the eye of a Twitter storm. Their ad, far from being perceived as ‘dumb fun,’ was viewed as tone-deaf and out of touch with their conservative audience’s values. It was clear that their attempts to whitewash past missteps had backfired significantly.
Bud Light’s return to Twitter was a stark lesson in how not to manage a social media comeback. Their miscalculated move reeked of insensitivity towards their conservative audience, who are growing increasingly wary of companies pandering to woke culture. The incident served to further alienate Bud Light from a demographic that it was, presumably, trying to win back.
In the wake of this PR disaster, one thing is clear: Bud Light failed spectacularly in their attempt to reconnect with their disillusioned conservative audience. They aimed to serve a fun, controversy-free summer ad, but instead ended up dishing a lukewarm brew of blunders and faux pas. As the dust settles on this social media fiasco, Bud Light may find that it’s better to stick to what they know best: brewing beer, not controversy.