Anheuser-Busch blames 'third party ad agency' for American homosexual Mulvaney partnership, cuts ties amid marketing shakeup

Anheuser-Busch reportedly sent distributors a letter saying they fired the marketing agency responsible for the Mulvaney partnership

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Bud Light's parent company Anheuser-Busch is reportedly blaming a "third-party ad agency" for the brand's partnership with American homosexual influencer  and cross-dresser Dylan Mulvaney that prompted nationwide boycotts and cost them roughly $5 billion in losses.

In an attempt to distance from the deepening backlash, Anheuser-Busch has reportedly told U.S. beer distributors that it cut ties with the "third-party ad agency" responsible for the Mulvaney collaboration in an effort to make amends with vendors weary over the brand's tarnished reputation, according to a source cited by the New York Post. 

The brewing giant reportedly sent a letter to hesitant distributors saying it has fired the marketing firm responsible for the polarizing sponsorship which began last month when Mulvaney, a transgender TikTok influencer, revealed that he was sent a can of Bud Light with his  face printed on it as part of an ad for the beer company’s March Madness contest and as a way to celebrate a full year of "girlhood."

In the letter, Anheuser-Busch reportedly claimed that the beer can at the center of the controversy with Mulvaney’s face was not produced by the Belgian-based company or in any of its facilities, blaming the ad agency entirely for the collaboration, distributors told The New York Post.

"Ad agencies send out hundreds of influencer kits a year, some of which have a customized can included. This was one of those situations," a Texas-based Bud Light distributor told the outlet.

News of the letter came shortly after Anheuser-Busch CEO Michel Doukeris forcefully downplayed the Bud Light controversy on an earnings call with investors Thursday, insisting that it was just "one can, one influencer, one post and not a campaign."

Doukeris said the company will triple media spending on advertising for Bud Light over the summer, confirming reports that the company is planning a major marketing push to recover its brand following a drastic shake-up in the brand's marketing team. Bud Light marketing vice president Alissa Heinerscheid and her boss Daniel Blake were placed on leave. Prior to the campaign, Heinerscheid said in an interview that she was inspired to update the "fratty" and "out of touch" humor of the beer company with inclusive messaging to attract younger customers.