The controversy surrounding Anheuser-Busch InBev, the owner of Bud Light (NYSE: BUD), continues to intensify as the brand faces criticism over a social media promotion involving influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
As part of the ongoing backlash against the company, a YouTuber behind the “Conservative Vibes” channel has sponsored a digital billboard to mock Bud Light.
In a video posted on May 21, the YouTuber elaborated on the process of designing the billboard and the various options considered before settling on the final display, which humorously featured the text “Butt Light” and “This butt’s for you!”
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According to the YouTuber, the creation of this billboard was partly inspired by another billboard that sarcastically read ‘lol crybabies’ while attributing its design to alleged ‘liberals.’ The YouTuber aimed to present a response from conservatives, suggesting the concept of a genuine billboard as a counteraction.
In the video, the YouTuber can be seen standing next to a billboard at an undisclosed location, with his billboard appearing for a few seconds. He pledged to sponsor one billboard for every 10,000 likes his video receives. Additionally, he stated that he would cover the cost of a billboard in New York City’s Times Square if his post received 100,000 likes.
BUD stock and sales plunge
In the wake of the going boycott, the effect has spilled over the company’s sales, dropping by 24.6% for the week ending May 13 compared to the previous year. At the same time, the company’s stock has also plunged by almost 25% over the past month, as per a Finbold report on May 23.
In light of the ongoing boycott against Bud Light, Finbold contacted renowned finance experts to gather their insights. The experts evaluated the potential future price predictions for BUD stock by the end of 2023, thus assessing the impact of the boycott on the overall outlook and trajectory of the stock.
“Bud Light is a mortally crippled brand unless Anheuser-Busch decides what customers they are going to serve. It will be a delicate moment, and they will have to get the message just right, not make it worse,” said L. Burke Files, Senior Researcher for Unicus Research LLC.
It is worth noting that Anheuser-Busch has attempted to downplay the partnership with Mulvaney.
In a statement, the company clarified that they occasionally create particular commemorative cans for fans and brand influencers, such as Dylan Mulvaney. The particular commemorative can in question was specifically designed as a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not available for purchase by the general public.
