According to the New York Post, The New York Post reported that The New York Post’s ad agency was in a “serious mode of panic” after facilitating the partnership between trans TikTok activists Dylan Mulvaney & Anheuser-Busch.
The New York Post
A source familiar with the situation said that the widespread backlash against the video, which sparked a firestorm on April 1 when it was uploaded and showed Mulvaney holding the Bud Light can as he took a bubble bath, caused confusion and anxiety in Captiv8 offices during the early days of controversy.
According to the source, “there was a lot” of talk among the employees about the possible blowback that the company might experience over the botched marketing campaign.
Source: “The company was in a panic mode internally,” source adds.
Alissa Heinigerscheid, Vice President of Bud Light Marketing, who was involved in the partnership as well, was put on leave shortly after the viral ad. Daniel Blake, her boss, was also put on leave.
Heinerscheid’s podcast interview went viral after the Mulvaney backlash. The marketing executive was attacked for saying she wanted to get rid of Bud Light’s “fratboy” image.
Bud Light sales have been hit hard by the boycotts from a once loyal customer base. Anheuser-Busch InBev’s market capitalization dropped to $107.44 Billion by the end of the month, down $27 Billion from its $134.55 Billion value on March 31.
The New York Post:
Ad agency that tapped Dylan Mulvaney for Bud Light in ‘serious panic mode’: source https://t.co/8SVQ2LPFZR pic.twitter.com/qfzzBV9Y5F
New York Post (@nypost June 5, 2020
