Bud Light, once the nation’s most popular beer, is now the No. 3 brand in the country — a stunning fall from grace for the Anheuser-Busch InBev-owned lager following the boycott over its Dylan Mulvaney ad partnership.
Modelo Especial, the Mexican import sold by Constellation Brands, is now No. 1, accounting for 9.7% of beer dollar sales in US stores in the four weeks that ended July 6, according to NielsenIQ data that was analyzed by the Bump Williams consulting firm.
Michelob Ultra, the low-carb beer that is also owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, came in at second place with 7.3% of beer dollar sales nationwide, the data showed.
Bud Light represented 6.5% of beer dollar sales during the four-week period.
The latest figures were first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The Post has sought comment from Anheuser-Busch InBev and Constellation Brands.
Before April of last year, Bud Light was well ahead of rivals Modelo Especial, Michelob Ultra and Molson Coors-owned Coors Light in holding market share in the US.
In February 2023, Bud Light registered more than 10% of total beer sales at retail locations nationwide.
That was when Bud Light’s marketing department decided to hire Mulvaney, the transgender social media influencer with millions of followers across TikTok and Instagram, to tout the brand as part of a special March Madness promotion.
Mulvaney posted videos and images on her social media pages showing her brandishing a special, custom-made can of Bud Light with her image and likeness painted on the container.
The posts sparked a social media backlash among conservatives who launched a nationwide boycott of the brand, which resulted in sales of Bud Light tanking.
The drop in sales led to retailers devoting less shelf space to Bud Light despite the fact that the boycott appears to have been lifted.
Former President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform earlier this year and defended Bud Light’s parent company, saying it wasn’t a “woke” business.
Bud Light also entered into a marketing and sponsorship agreement with Ultimate Fighting Championship, the mixed martial arts venture whose fan base is known to primarily skew rightward.
But sales of the brand have continued to lag, particularly as younger consumers increasingly move away from consumption of alcohol in favor of legalized marijuana and non-alcoholic beverages.
In the past year, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s stock price has risen by 6.47% — well below the nearly 22% rise in the S&P 500 index during that same period.
“Our consistent strategy, and the significant investments we continue to make behind our brands are yielding results,” a spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch InBev told The Post.
The company rep touted branding deals struck between sports leagues and its brands such as Michelob Ultra and Busch Light.
“Millions of consumers choose Bud Light every day and we continue to invest in partnerships with the NFL, UFC, and renowned musicians, because Bud Light will always be a mainstay of our iconic portfolio,” the company rep said.
“We are focused on what we do best – brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in the moments that matter.”
