WATCH: Bud Light pokes fun at marketing missteps in latest Shane Gillis ad



Just when you thought woke weirdness in commercials couldn't get any worse, along comes Jaguar as if to say, "Hold my beer."

Just as the iconic British carmaker drives its brand off a cliff with its latest ad, Bud Light continues to win back customers with its latest effort — its second spot starring stand-up Shane Gillis.

The Gillis campaign returns Bud Light to its pre-woke era, when the brand embraced comedy to appeal to its young, male customer base

As Blaze News reported in February, the beloved beer brand signed a marketing deal with Gillis in an attempt to repair the damage caused by its disastrous partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.

The latter caused conservatives to spearhead a boycott, which caused Bud Light to drop from the top-selling beer to the third, while parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev lost roughly $1.4 billion in sales. In a bit of meta-commentary, the spot — entitled "Wrong Commercial" — finds Gillis showing up at what he thinks is the set of his latest Bud Light commercial — only to encounter a snake-handling femme fatale and an existentially depressed guitarist (all shot in black and white).

"I think I'm in the wrong commercial," the flannel-clad Gillis announces, Bud Light in hand. "Yeah dude, this isn't right."

Meanwhile, the actor who is supposed to be in the avant-garde fragrance ad is at the Bud Light set: a raucous sports bar where he has the time of his life drinking beer, eating wings, and watching football.

Gillis' first Bud Light commercial debuted in September.

The Gillis campaign returns Bud Light to its pre-woke era, when the brand embraced comedy to appeal to its young, male customer base in a series of memorable ads, including "Real Men of Genius," "Bud Light Institute," "The Hitchhiker," "Paper or Plastic," "Magic Fridge," "Swear Jar," "Dog Sitter," and "Rock, Paper, Scissors."

This run ended in 2022 when the company promoted Alissa Heinerscheid to vice president of marketing, the first female to fill the role.

From the start, Heinerscheid was outspoken about her intentions to shake things up. During an interview in March 2023, Heinerscheid declared that Bud Light needs to welcome more "inclusivity."

"So I had this super clear mandate. It's like, we need to evolve and elevate this incredibly iconic brand," Heinerscheid proclaimed. "And my ... what I brought to that was a belief in, OK, what does evolve and elevate mean? It means inclusivity. It means shifting the tone. It means having a campaign that's truly inclusive and feels lighter and brighter and different and appeals to women and to men."

Heinerscheid expressed disgust for Bud Light's previous marketing campaigns.

"And we had this hangover. I mean, Bud Light had been kind of a brand of fratty, kind of out-of-touch humor, and it was really important that we had another approach," she stated.

You can watch the Shane Gillis Bud Light commercial below.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here.

Was the 'Bud Light Boycott' effective? — Is the company STILL WOKE?



Bud Light essentially lost its fan base in 2023 when it partnered with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney — and it’s now attempting to correct course.

The company recently released a football-themed ad starring Shane Gillis that appears to be an attempt to shake off its disastrous LGBTQ-themed partnership, but Jill Savage and Matthew Peterson of “Blaze News Tonight” aren’t convinced the change is an honest one.

“The company apparently took notes,” Savage comments.

“You went from a transvestite to a canceled, red state-coded comedian who’s made a ferocious comeback and is incredibly popular,” Peterson says. “It’s very obvious; it’s transparent, in a way, what they’re doing.”

“I’m very suspicious of all of this,” he says. “What these companies have done for decades is subvert their brands and therefore America’s image.”

“That’s nice you have Shane Gillis on,” he adds, “we like that. And you’ve rejected some craziness and are showing that to us, but have you really changed as a company? What else are you hiding from me? I don’t know, I want to know, and I need to know as a consumer before I start making those choices with my dollars so that I’m not held hostage by woke capital.”

This is important because these companies fund the ideology that most Americans inherently disagree with.

“Something we need to do more of is shame these people with the power of media,” Peterson tells Savage. “You all out there can do that too. We’re going to do that together. We just shame these people and say, ‘What are you doing? Why are you doing this?’ and a lot of them will fold like a cheap suit.”


Want more from 'Blaze News Tonight'?

To enjoy more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Keith Olbermann strikes out in Bud Light brouhaha with David Wells, former star pitcher takes swing at Nike's wokeness and coddled MLB players



Former MLB star David Wells replied with a pitch-perfect response to progressive blowhard Keith Olbermann in an online brouhaha over the Bud Light controversy. The former New York Yankees starting pitcher also took a swing at Nike's corporate wokeness and how Major League Baseball players are coddled.

Wells appeared at the 75th Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium on Saturday – which celebrated the 25th anniversary of the 1998 Bronx Bombers squad that won 125 games and captured the World Series.

Wells covered up the Nike logo with medical tape on his Yankees jersey for Old Timers' Day because he disagrees with the sneaker company's politics.

Wells declared, "I hate Nike! They’re woke!”

According to The Athletic, "He said that if he were playing today, he would have cut a hole into his jersey and worn it on the field like that rather than display Nike’s logo on his body."

Wells also said today's MLB players are soft as he defended embattled Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who is under fire tor the team's disappointing season.

“It always seems that the (general managers), the managers and all of that are getting fired, and getting blamed for it, and it’s the players’ (fault),” Wells said. “If you’re not doing the job out on the field, and if I was a GM, I would start sending a message.”

The retired starting pitcher with 239 career wins under his belt called for MLB teams to send underperforming players to the minor leagues to "send a message."

"I don’t care how much money you’re making," he continued. "Send a message to them and let them go sit down there and think about it. That’s what you have to do. I think now they coddle them too much. They baby them. … It’s up to your peers to make you better."

The pitcher nicknamed "Boomer" recalled a time when he was pitching poorly for the Yankees and the team's catcher, Jorge Posada, got physical with him.

"He slammed me against the pillar and got in my face but I respected it,” Wells said.

Wells added, "But to me, that’s what you don’t see anymore. You don’t see the guys getting in each other’s face. And it’s not a personal thing. You’re here to win, and that’s what they try to do, and I think from seeing my perspective, looking in, they don’t have that kind of camaraderie anymore."

When asked if he drinks Bud Light, Wells fired back, "Nope!"

Former MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann infused himself into the situation by questioning if Wells no longer drinks Bud Light.

Seeking a rebuttal, Olberman tagged Wells on the X social media platform along with a screenshot of the former star pitcher voicing his displeasure with Bud Light.

Olbermann tweeted, "Bulls**t. @BoomerWells33 would drink wood alcohol. Another f***ing fraud."

Wells struck back at Olbermann with a home run response, "Keith shut the f*** up. Just because you never played the game and all you did was work for ESPN and talk s**t on all of us players because you have a degree in journalism makes you an expert on putting athletes down. And that's if you even have a degree. Stick to your politics."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Bill Gates' foundation bets nearly $100 million on Bud Light, former Anheuser-Busch exec says huge investment is a 'mistake'



Despite the controversy surrounding Bud Light, Bill Gates is betting big on the beer brand's parent company – Anheuser-Busch.

Bud Light has been dethroned as the king of beers in the United States following a months-long boycott. The once-beloved beer brand began being boycotted in April after Bud Light's advertising campaign with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.

Anheuser-Busch faces another potential public relations pitfall with billionaire Bill Gates investing millions into the beer behemoth.

Last quarter, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust bought 1.7 million shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev – valued at nearly $95 million, according to an SEC filing.

MarketWatch reported, "The exact timing of the purchase was unclear. But Cascade Asset Management Co., the firm that oversees the investment decisions for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, said the Microsoft Corp. co-founder didn’t participate in the trust’s decision, and that it was attracted to the price."

A spokesperson for Cascade said the asset management company "sees value" in Anheuser-Busch InBev.

The stock is down about 6% year to date.

Fox Business reported, "Sales took a clear hit. Anheuser-Busch InBev reported a steep drop in profits as a result of the boycott, with U.S. revenue dropping 10.5% in the second quarter, while earnings before taxes, interest and depreciation fell 28.2%. The company has laid off hundreds of workers amid the fallout."

However, a former Anheuser-Busch executive said the major investment is a "mistake."

"Bill Gates is definitely making a mistake," former Anheuser-Busch exec Anson Frerks told "Cavuto: Coast to Coast" on Wednesday. "Earlier this year, he already made a $900 million mistake when he invested into one of Anheuser-Busch's largest rivals, Heineken. He did that earlier this year. And since that investment, Heineken's down about 10%, whereas the broader markets are up 10%."

"So if I was looking for advice on investing in software companies, tech companies, I might go to Bill Gates. But if you're looking at the beer industry, he doesn't have a great track record of investing in winners at this point," Freks added.

In February, Gates acquired a 3.76% stake in Dutch beer giant Heineken, said to be worth $902 million at the time.

During an "Ask Me Anything" thread on Reddit in 2018, Gates wrote, "I am not a big beer drinker," but said he'll "drink light beer to get with the vibe of all the other beer drinkers" during a baseball game.

Other major investments by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation include Microsoft, Walmart, and agricultural manufacturer Deere & Co.

According to Forbes, Gates is the seventh-richest person in the world with a net worth of more than $111 billion.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Who is Anheuser-Busch actually brewing for? www.youtube.com

Bud Light "Tragedy" 😂

Bud Light "Tragedy" 😂

Charles Barkley delivers heated comments on Bud Light controversy over transgender influencer: 'F*** you!'



Outspoken NBA legend Charles Barkley delivered heated remarks about the Bud Light controversy regarding the popular beer brand partnering with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.

The Bud Light boycott has raged on since April after the former top-selling beer brand partnered with LGBTQ influencer and "Days of Girlhood" TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney. The partnership has cost parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Barkley recently vehemently supported Bud Light, and encouraged people to "drink this f***ing beer." Barkley emphatically voiced his opinions at a bar in Lake Tahoe while in town for the American Century Celebrity golf tournament. The Turner Sports broadcaster also blasted critics of the Bud Light boycott.

“I want you all to drink this f***ing beer, I want you all to drink this f***ing beer, I got three cases of Bud Light," Barkley told the crowd. "Hey, and I want to say this: If you’re gay, bless you, if you’re transgender, bless you. And if you have a problem with that, f*** you!”

Bud Light has lost billions of market value since the boycott over the partnership with the transgender activist.

— (@)

In 2016, Barkley came out against North Carolina's bathroom law that banned transgender individuals from accessing lavatories that didn't align with their natural gender.

At the time, Barkley declared, "As a black person, I’m against any form of discrimination — against whites, Hispanics, gays, lesbians, however you want to phrase it. It’s my job, with the position of power that I’m in and being able to be on television, I’m supposed to stand up for the people who can’t stand up for themselves."

"If somebody is gay, that’s their own business," the NBA icon stated. "But it bothers me how people try to say that jocks are not going to like a gay … I think gay people should be allowed to get married and God bless them, that’s their own business. Listen, if a guy can’t play that’s the only time we don’t want to play with him. We don’t care about all that extracurricular stuff."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Dylan Mulvaney is scared of 'verbal violence'? Influencer FLEES to Peru after saying goodbye to America



Apparently Dylan Mulvaney believes America is no longer a safe place for him. The Bud Light fiasco (that was ironically supposed to show support for the transgender movement) resulted in such serious backlash that the trans influencer had to “leave [his] country to feel safe.”

Well, that's what he says anyway.

“I think the ‘verbal violence’ is what made [Mulvaney] flee,” Sara Gonzales says in reference to Megan Rapinoe’s recent comment that Dave Chappelle’s “jokes about trans people directly [lead] to violence, whether it’s verbal or otherwise.”

“Verbal violence isn’t a thing,” Stu retorts. “Words are not violence.”

“Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will never hurt us,” he continues, citing the age-old schoolboy rhyme.

Clearly Mulvaney is unfamiliar with that verse, but that’s okay because he’s found sanctuary in Peru, where the people are “so kind” and the llamas abound.

He’s even enjoyed “10 years' worth of therapy” through his participation in shaman ceremonies.

But there’s a reckoning coming that will inevitably rain on Mulvaney’s Peruvian adventures.

“They do not allow same-sex marriage” in Peru, Sara points out.

Looks like the influencer may be in for a rude awakening once he discovers that it’s a “much worse situation for LGBTQ freedom” in Peru than it is in America.

“This is just a heaping pile of stupidity,” Stu says.


Want more from The News & Why It Matters?

To enjoy more roundtable rundowns of the top stories of the day, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Dylan Mulvaney leaves the US over Bud Light debacle: 'I had to leave my country to feel safe'



Transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney claimed to have left the United States in order to feel safe after the controversy related to the Bud Light debacle.

“Okay, surprise,” said the 26-year-old in a TikTok video. “I’m in Peru! I’m at Machu Picchu. Isn’t this so beautiful?”

Critics on the right lambasted Bud Light and Mulvaney after the transgender influencer posted a video to his social media channel celebrating a partnership with the beer giant to celebrate March Madness. Conservatives began a campaign to boycott Bud Light and its parent company.

"I’ve seen a lot of llamas. The people here are so kind. I feel very safe here. It’s a little sad that I had to leave my country to feel safe, but that will get better eventually," Mulvaney continued.

The boycott against Bud Light has led to a precipitous drop in sales in the U.S. A poll showed that a majority of Americans supported the boycott while only 30% said that they opposed the boycott.

The company has distanced itself from Mulvaney, leading the influencer to criticize them for not standing with the LGBTQ political agenda.

"I’ve been scared to leave my house, I have been ridiculed in public, I’ve been followed, and I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn’t wish on anyone," said Mulvaney in a previous statement. "And I’m not telling you this because I want your pity, I am telling you this because this is my experience from a very privileged perspective, know that it is much, much worse for other trans people."

In the influencer's latest TikTok video, Mulvaney touted the benefits of Peruvian shaman ceremonies.

"I came here to feel something. And I definitely have. I have done shaman ceremonies that were, like, 10 years' worth of therapy," Mulvaney concluded. "It was wild."

Here's the video of Mulvaney's announcement:

Dylan Mulvaney doesn’t ‘feel safe’ in US over Bud Light backlash, travels to South Americawww.youtube.com

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Bud Light is no longer a top 10 beer in America, sales of controversial beer brand continue to be in freefall



Bud Light is no longer one of the top 10 beers in America following the Dylan Mulvaney controversy, according to a new survey.

According to a new YouGov survey, Bud Light is out of the top 10 most popular beer brands. In the second quarter of 2023, Bud Light was tied for the 14th-ranked beer brand with a 42% popularity rating. Bud Light was tied with Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.

The top 10 beers in the survey: Guinness (58%), Corona (53%), Heineken (51%), Samuel Adams (49%), Blue Moon (48%), Budweiser (48%), Modelo (47%), Corona Extra (46%), Stella Artois (46%), and Coors (45%).

In the second quarter of 2022, the same YouGov survey found that 42% of Americans "liked" Bud Light – making it the ninth-most popular beer in the United States.

The controversy over the beer brand partnering with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney still continues despite the hullabaloo happening in April.

The boycott of Bud Light continues to cause sales of the beer brand to freefall.

Bud Light sales plummeted 28% for the week ending June 24 compared to the same period last year, according to beer tracker Bump Williams Consulting. Meanwhile, sales of Yuengling Lager, Coors Light, and Miller Lite all increased by 22%, 19% and 16% respectively, during that same week.

The declining sales for that period caused Bud Light to have $26.3 million less compared to a year ago, according to data from consumer behavior data analytics firm Circana.

In the four weeks ending May 28, 2023, Bud Light had $297 million in sales – a decline of 22.8% from the same period in 2022, according to data from Circana/IRI.

CBS News notes, "July and August are crucial months for Bud Light sales as the summer ushers in more holidays and beer-drinking."

Bud Light has faced major backlash from Kid Rock, gay bars, and lost the throne as the king of beers. Bud Light has attempted to stop the bleeding by reducing the price of its beer to almost free.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Joe Rogan & Ice Cube’s BRUTALLY honest conversation + Bud Light costs less than WATER?!



Dave Rubin plays a clip of Joe Rogan and Ice Cube’s blunt conversation about how woke companies have become.

Unsurprisingly, Bud Light and Target dominated their discussion.

“I think about the companies that own these companies,” Ice Cube says. “Why would they let a decision like that take the company down?” he asks in reference to Bud Light’s marketing campaign featuring trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

“I don’t think they thought it was going to,” Rogan responds. “They just pushed too far, and people went f**k you.”

“So why did Target do the same thing?” Ice Cube asks.

“I think that’s an ESG thing,” Rogan says.

For those who don’t know, ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance score and is a way to essentially measure how woke a company is. That score then determines funding and what companies can and can’t do.

In short, it’s a way for the government to control corporations and ensure their agendas are being pushed.

But it’s clearly not going over well with consumers.

“Target lost billions of dollars … because people are sick of this sh*t,” Rogan says.

“They’re sick of social things like that – that are controversial – getting stuffed in your face and you have to accept it,” he continues.

“It’s not that people aren’t accepting of different lifestyles,” Rubin adds.

“When you walk into Target, you’re there to buy something, right? ... I don’t need to walk in and be bludgeoned with stuff that will have kids tucking their genitals so that they can pretend to be the other gender,” he explains.

As frustrating as these woke campaigns have been, there is some encouraging news: The backlash is working.

“The average person decided to put their money, use their wallet, elsewhere,” Rubin says.

“What that does,” he explains, is “make it so that you actually have some power.”

And that power is perhaps nowhere better displayed than in Bud Light’s “$20B Dylan Mulvaney disaster” that has resulted in the lager costing less than water at certain retailers.

Watch the full conversation here.


Want more from Dave Rubin?

To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.