Another Anheuser-Busch marketing executive has taken a leave of absence amid backlash over Bud Light’s creative collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Daniel Blake, who oversees marketing for Anheuser-Busch's mainstream brands, has stepped away from the job, , according to the Wall Street Journal. Blake joins Bud Light vice president of marketing Alissa Heinerscheid, who generated backlash for deriding Bud Light’s traditional customer base in a podcast interview that was resurfaced amid the Mulvaney controversy.
“Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence which we support," an AB spokeswoman told the publication. "Daniel has also decided to take a leave of absence."
Blake also handled a lot of marketing for Budweiser and BudLight, the Journal reported, and had worked at AB for nearly nine years. While Blake’s replacement hasn’t been revealed yet, Bud Light said Friday that Todd Allen, formerly global vice president of Budweiser, would fill Heinerscheid’s role.
In a podcast episode from earlier this year that was seen as the nail in the coffin for the Mulvaney move, Heinerscheid said she was charged with leading Bud Light away from its “fratty” roots and out-of-touch humor.
“I had a really clear job to do when I took over Bud Light. It was, this brand is in decline, it's been in decline for a really long time, and if we do not attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand, there will be no future for Bud Light,” she said.
The brand overhaul she was driving, she said, would require “having a campaign that's truly inclusive and feels lighter and brighter and different and appeals to women and to men.”
In a recent statement, AB CEO Brendan Whitworth assured that the brand “never intended” to divide Americans over its creative partnership with Mulvaney but failed to apologize to the loyal fans that it alienated.
“I am responsible for ensuring every consumer feels proud of the beer we brew,” he said. “My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another.”
The drama started after Mulvaney posted a bizarre advertisement video in the bathtub, surrounded by cans of the beer. The brand deal is one of many Mulvaney has secured in recent months with household names, sparking backlash and boycotts.
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