© Provided by AS USA Anheuser-Busch is trying to win back beer drinkers after a marketing campaign against its flagship brand Bud Light sparked backlash.Anheuser-Busch's No. 1 brand, Bud Light, saw sales fall 28.4% in the week ending May 13 after a disastrous promotional campaign. The maker of 'King of Beers' has launched a new marketing campaign in an attempt to recover the leaking sales of the company's flagship beer and other brands known since early April.
For a limited time, customers can get up to $15 back when they buy a 15-pack or more of Budweiser, Bud Light, Budweiser Select or Budweiser Select 55. Customers have until May 31 to avail the Bud Light On You discount, which will come in the form of a prepaid digital card. Customers will then have up to six months to use the discount on future purchases.
To avail the promotion, customers must complete the online form, provide proof of purchase and a photograph of the barcode at checkout. The offer is valid for only one reduction per unit per family.
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$15 off, free beer or 14-cent can of Budweiser
The promotion was launched before Memorial Day weekend to take advantage of the unofficial start of summer, when many Americans gather for barbecues and is typically a prime time for beer sales. But there's no sign the "easy to drink - easy to enjoy" beer boycott is ending.
Photos of shelves full of Bud Light have been posted on social media, despite the discounted $3.49 for a 24-pack, or just 14 cents per can, offered by at least one retailer. However, customers can get a coupon with the purchase of a 15-pack of Bud Light, which sells for less than $15 in some regions, essentially making the beer free.
Earlier this month, there were social media posts calling for the brand to essentially pay to drink the beer. At one store , a 24-pack of Bud Light was listed for $19.98, but a $20 discount.
How did the storm over Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch begin?
Bud Light's marketing department sent transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney custom Bud Light cans with his photo. The partnership coincides with the one-year anniversary of Mulvaney's debut as a woman and the NCAA March Madness tournament.
After Mulvaney posted a humorous video on TikTok and customers believed that Bud Light was going to put special cans in stores, offending the company's biggest customer. It also comes as consumers are increasingly vocal about whether brands are taking a stand on social issues. The results, in addition to declining sales, included the firing of two marketing managers, public harassment of couriers and even threats of violence against the company and employees.
