The conservative boycott of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Bud Light brand continues unabated, as the beer behemoth was unceremoniously blackballed at a major motorcycle event in South Dakota that it sponsored.
Tuesday, TikTok user CycleDrag posted startling footage of tent after tent with rows of vacant Budweiser booths that had been set up to advertise the beer.
The TikTok video was shared on Twitter by a user who noted that there were “ZERO attendees at the Budweiser tent in Sturgis. This may be the BIGGEST marketing blunder of all time!”
Because Budweiser was an official sponsor of this year’s City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the absence was especially surprising. Even when the company lavished money on attracting customers to a free event, beer drinkers shunned it in droves.
ZERO attendees at the Budweiser tent in Sturgis
This may be the BIGGEST marketing blunder of all time! pic.twitter.com/iSNqTyyOgc
— Old Row (@OldRowOfficial) August 9, 2023
The incident demonstrates that consumers have not yet absolved Bud Light for its disastrous promotion featuring the visage of transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney on its beer cans.
Before the Mulvaney scandal erupted this spring, Bud Light had been the best-selling beer in the United States for the previous two decades. Since then, the sales and popularity of the beverage titan have plummeted.
Wednesday, CycleDrag published a follow-up video demonstrating that Bud Light remained a pariah among consumers, as its kiosks and canopies remained empty and unoccupied.
@cycledrag Here is an upate on the Budweiser tent at Sturgis mid week #budweiser #budlight #dylanmulvaney #sturgis #sturgisrally #motorcyclesoftiktok🏍️ #motorcyclelife #budlightboycott ♬ original sound – Cycledrag
The response at Sturgis conveys a clear message to Bud Light and other “woke” corporations that using their products to promote left-wing propaganda is abhorrent to a significant portion of consumers.
Numerous Twitter users ridiculed Bud Light for its self-inflicted crisis, stating that the company is learning the hard way what happens when corporations irresponsibly engage in culture conflicts.
WARNING: The following tweet contains vulgar language that some readers may find offensive.
Maybe the micro minority Dylan Mulvaney people will buy their shit beer and save buttweiser? Oh wait. 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/LoDfeGv3zH
— HOGG-MAN ⚒️ (@HOGGMAN_Memes) August 9, 2023
Brands should stay clear of 2 subjects.
Religion & Politics.
Go woke go broke
— Eddie guerrero (@edcruzto9) August 10, 2023
It's not going to blow over. It a dead beer brand.
— Thomas Kemmett🇺🇲 (@ThomasKemmett) August 10, 2023
They should've had Dylan there to draw the crowds.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
— RedRight &True (@TrueRedright) August 10, 2023
It is currently unknown if Bud Light will recover from this costly error. All things considered, it appears implausible, at least in the near future.
As corporations become more aggressive in incorporating political messages into their advertising campaigns, they should anticipate a greater backlash from consumers who are sick of the constant, inappropriate indoctrination. Just cease immediately.