Episode 810: Last Call for Bud Light

Newt's World

Gingrich 360

News, Politics

4.7 • 6.3K Ratings

🗓️ 9 February 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Newt talks with Anson Frericks, former president of Anheuser-Busch Sales and Distribution, about the significant backlash faced by Bud Light following the controversial partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in 2023. The partnership, which included a $15,000 giveaway during March Madness, led to a boycott and a notable decline in Bud Light sales. Frericks discusses the impact of the partnership, the historical marketing success of Bud Light, and the cultural shift within the company following its acquisition by InBev. He also highlights the company's failure to effectively manage the crisis and suggests that selling the U.S. business could be a potential solution for recovery. Their conversation also covers the broader implications of corporate decisions influenced by ESG and DEI policies and the importance of understanding and maintaining brand identity. His new book is, “LAST CALL FOR BUD LIGHT: The Fall and Future of America’s Favorite Beer.”

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Transcript

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0:00.0	On this episode of Nutsworld, Dylan Movaney, a transgender influencer, partnered with Bud Light in a sponsored Instagram video on April 1st, 2023.
0:16.0	The video promoted a $15,000 giveaway during March Madness.
0:20.7	The partnership sparked a huge backlash and a boycott of Bud Light.
0:25.6	Just days later, singer Kid Rock used several cases of Bud Light for target practice,
0:31.1	opening fire on them with a gun in response to the news that Anheuser-Busch made a transgender woman,
0:37.2	a Bud Light spokesperson.
0:39.2	The fallout was a drop in Bud Light sales and a shake-up of the U.S.-based marketing team
0:44.4	and other executives.
0:46.6	I'm really pleased to welcome my guest, Anson Freirex, former president of Anheuser-Busch sales
0:51.2	and distribution.
0:52.5	His new book is, Last Call for Bud Light,
0:55.5	The Fall and Future of America's Favorite Beer.
0:58.1	And I have to say it is a great title.
1:14.5	Hanson, welcome and thank you for joining me on Newtsworld.
1:16.7	Oh, thanks for having me, Newt. Really excited to be here.
1:25.5	You've mentioned that your earliest memory of Anheuser-Busch was watching their Super Bowl commercial in 1989 when you were five years old.
1:30.2	What made that moment so impactful for you? And was there something about the brand or the commercial that left a lasting impression on you at such a young age?
1:35.9	Well, I think there were two things that left a lasting impression. First off, from Cincinnati,
1:39.3	Ohio. So I'm a Cincinnati Bengals fan. And that was the year you had the Cincinnati Bengals,
1:43.9	Boomer Ossison, playing Joe Montana in the Super Bowl. So my parents had a big party that year.
1:49.0	And then the other thing that made it more memorable is that was the first year that you
1:52.3	had the Bud Bowl. And if you remember, this is when you had Budweiser versus Bud Light.
	...

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