Ethicswashing gone wrong | Bud Light's foray into being woke was a disaster, and culture will suffer

By now, you’ve probably seen the drama surrounding drinks-maker Anheuser-Busch (owner of Budweiser and Bud Light) playing out over a series of headlines, each more absurd than the last. If you haven’t, we’ll fill you in with an abbreviated version.

In short, Budweiser’s VP of Marketing, Alissa Heinerscheid, created a campaign in partnership with American actress and TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney (who happens to be transgender). In a series of videos, Mulvaney filmed herself promoting the brand to her more than 4-million-strong social media audience.

Needless to say, the move was considered to be controversial by a very vocal segment of Budweiser’s customer base, who apparently fundamentally don’t believe trans people have a right to exist, or believe in the right of a brand to align itself with a social issue.

As a result, the company seemingly reneged on its apparent support for both the campaign and its alignment with the trans community (whether this is the case or not, this is very much how it appeared) and Heinerscheid, along with her boss Daniel Blake, took some very suspiciously-timed ‘leaves of absence’.