Ah, the unforgettable saga of Dylan Mulvaney, the self-proclaimed transgender-identifying social media influencer, and his groundbreaking bathtub beer-drinking escapade that forever changed the landscape of beer advertising – because nothing says beer marketing like a paid promotion in a tub.
In a move that left Bud Light reeling, Mulvaney’s partnership led to a nationwide boycott and a dent in Bud Light’s once-stellar reputation. But the real drama unfolded in the shadows, as the beer giant faced off in a legal battle over whether Mulvaney’s antics complied with the oh-so-precious industry standards that frown upon marketing alcohol to minors.
Enter Senators Ted Cruz and Marsha Blackburn, who, in true bureaucratic fashion, penned a letter on May 17, 2023, triggering a formal review by the Beer Institute. The bone of contention? Whether Mulvaney, the apparent entertainer for kids, was the key to Bud Light’s cunning strategy to “attract young drinkers.” Who wouldn’t want to target a demographic that really knows how to appreciate a fine brew, right?
Mulvaney’s two groundbreaking Bud Light posts – one in a bathtub during last year’s Super Bowl and another during March Madness – managed to stir up enough outrage to cost the company billions. The senators, with their eagle eyes, pointed out Mulvaney’s kid-friendly posts, including one where he posed as a 6-year-old children’s book character named Eloise, right in the middle of his Bud Light stint. Bravo, Bud Light, for your impeccable choice in brand ambassadors.
Despite the initial review board’s decision that Bud Light didn’t violate the Advertising and Marketing Code, the code was conveniently revised just two months later, now explicitly forbidding any brewer from cozying up with Mulvaney. Talk about swift justice.
The revised standards mandate brewers to conduct “after-the-fact audits” twice a year for all influencer placements, a process that Bud Light claimed was beyond its control since influencers apparently develop their own content. But times have changed, and the new standards insist that influencer content be held to the same lofty standards as other ads. Sorry, Bud Light, no more passing the buck.
And let’s not forget the meticulous guidelines for social media posts, ensuring they only reach an audience where 73.8% is of legal drinking age – because responsible drinking starts with responsible posting. Despite Anheuser-Busch’s claim that 80% of Mulvaney’s audience was 21 or older, independent analyses and a little experiment by The Daily Wire suggest otherwise.
In the grand theater of beer, influencers, and Senate scrutiny, the curtain falls on a tale that has forever etched the name Dylan Mulvaney into the annals of beer advertising history. Cheers to the tub, the boycotts, and the unforgettable quest for standards in the age of social media.
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