The boycott against Bud Light over its partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney this spring is showing no signs of stopping, with beer distributors acknowledging that consumers have likely left the brand for good “and that’s how it’s going to be.”
If the recent Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is any indication, that distributor is right.
During the 10-day event, in which hundreds of thousands of bikers head to the South Dakota city each year to ride, enjoy parties and concerts, and sightsee, the Budweiser beer garage was dead.
Multiple videos posted on social media from different days showed the same empty spot, despite how jam packed the surrounding areas were.
ZERO attendees at the Budweiser tent in Sturgis
— Old Row (@OldRowOfficial) August 9, 2023
This may be the BIGGEST marketing blunder of all time! pic.twitter.com/iSNqTyyOgc
GO WOKE GO BROKE: August 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota
— Eric Spracklen🇺🇸 (@EricSpracklen) August 11, 2023
***HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF BIKERS ARE ATTENDING THIS MULTI-DAY EVENT***
Budweiser/Bud Light will never recover pic.twitter.com/SuN9fPP6YS
While Bud Light is taking the biggest hit, several Anheuser-Busch brands have been impacted, including Budweiser, Busch Light, and Natural Light.
Anheuser-Busch recently announced it was laying off hundreds of corporate employees amid the boycott and is even slashing its craft beer portfolio.
The boycott started April 1, when Mulvaney announced the partnership on social media for his celebration of "365 days of girlhood." The trans influencer also posted another social media video of himself drinking a Bud Light in a bathtub.