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Bud Light denies report that marketing execs behind Dylan Mulvaney fiasco are ‘gone gone’

June 28, 2023 | | Print Article

The Harvard-educated female marketing executive who was the driving force behind the catastrophic decision to partner with transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney to pitch Bud Light is no longer with the company, according to text messages obtained by a conservative news outlet.

Bud Light Marketing Vice President Alissa Heinerscheid, who sought to give the once-popular brew a reboot of what she described as the brand’s “fratty, kind of out-of-touch” image, is “gone gone,” The Daily Caller reported, citing a source who is identified as a “current regional head of marketing” who was given anonymity “to discuss legally fraught internal company policy.”

It had been previously announced that Heinerscheid had taken a leave of absence as outrage over the Mulvaney spots exploded, but according to the source that is not the case.

“To my understanding if we publicly announced the word ‘fire’ it opens up the potential for them to sue us. That’s why we said leave of absence,” the person said in a text message obtained by the outlet.

“The wholesalers would have had an absolute HAY DAY with leadership if they didn’t remove her,” the source added.

Also out is Group Vice President for Marketing Daniel Blake who was standing inside the blast radius when the magnitude of the backlash became apparent and upper management had to make a move in a futile attempt to contain the damage.

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“To be fair- Daniel Blake was actually awesome. I think he was just caught in crossfire. But also, he did hire her… so that’s a fault,” the source said.

“Wholesalers were told they are both gone for good by leadership during in person conversations. They already shifted all their direct reports to new people and the head of marketing,” the source said in another text message, according to the Daily Caller.

Anheuser-Busch rebutted the report, telling the Daily Mail that Heinerscheid and Blake have not been fired and are still on a “leave of absence” in a statement to the outlet.

“Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence which we support,’ the spokesperson said, adding that Daniel is also ‘taking a leave of absence,” a spokesperson said. “In the interest of our employees’ safety and privacy, we’re not providing any additional information.”

As the boycotts drag on, Bud Light has undertaken a marketing blitz to salvage its brand, returning to Twitter for the first time since April last week with a new summertime fun ad that is more in line with its traditional spots. But it wasn’t well received by beer drinkers who aren’t quite ready to forgive and forget.

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The popular Bud Knight character has also returned as the brand frantically tries to wash away the bitter taste of Mulvaney, but the ad was savaged by Twitter users.

More problematic for the company is that it hasn’t completely shelved its sponsorship for Pride Month events and recently got more negative – albeit free – advertising for the sexual degeneracy that has come to be associated with the brand thanks to naked men parading down the street in Toronto in the presence of children, not a good look for the marketing team working to rehabilitate Bud Light’s image.

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With the Fourth of July weekend coming up, Bud Light is going to be practically giving its beer away in an effort to spark sales, offering a $15 rebate on 15 packs of Bud Light, Budweiser, Budweiser Select or Budweiser Select 55.

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Chris Donaldson
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