Bud Light announced on Thursday a new marketing effort branded the "biggest summer campaign ever" which includes giving away $10,000 a week.
The campaign comes as Bud Light tries to regain its footing while still reeling from a nationwide boycott. The backlash against the beer brand began soon after an April 1 post by transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney revealed she had a small branded partnership with Bud Light. Several prominent conservatives—including Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas and musicians like Kid Rock—denounced Bud Light for the partnership.
Bud Light has experienced a steep decline in sales as a result of the boycott. Tracking figures by Nielsen IQ that were provided to Newsweek earlier this week by Bump Williams Consulting showed that in the week ending June 10, Bud Light sales volume—the number of units of beer sold—was 30.3 percent lower than in the same week in 2022, the largest such drop since the week ending April 1.
The new advertising push by Bud Light's parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev seeks to focus on good times, even using the disco hit "Good Times" by Chic in a new commercial. Along with giving away thousands of dollars, the company is also sponsoring a major musical tour this summer and partnering with NFL stars.
According to a press release from Anheuser-Busch InBev, the new campaign builds upon the "Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy" platform the company launched earlier this year, and the "Bud Light Backyard Tour" will be headlined by country artists Tyler Braden and Seaforth.
Meanwhile, NFL stars Travis Kelce, Dak Prescott and George Kittle will be featured in a "new creative" that will take place at some point ahead of this year's football season, and fans will be given the opportunity to win signed memorabilia from the sports stars.
Bud Light customers will also have the chance to take home $10,000 in a weekly giveaway, as well as have $100 put toward their bar tabs. No other details were provided in the press release about how to enter to win the prizes, but people were encouraged to follow Bud Light's social media accounts for future announcements.
Anheuser-Busch InBev did not address the ongoing boycott or the resulting sales slump in its announcement, but Todd Allen—vice president of marketing for Bud Light—enthused about the summer promotion.
"We can't wait to get out on the road and give fans the experience to enjoy their favorite artists through the first-ever Bud Light Backyard Tour," Allen said in the press release. "Bud Light is ready for an epic summer, and we are looking forward to delivering easy enjoyment to our 21+ fans for all the best summer moments in the backyard."
The new campaign has already been met with some negative responses on social media.
"Bud Light is giving away $10,000 a week to people who will drink their beer? They ARE desperate, aren't they?" one Twitter user wrote.
Newsweek reached out to Anheuser-Busch InBev via email for comment.
