The Bud Light backlash continues. But this time it’s the workers who are threatening to walk off the job over the infamous Dylan Mulvaney marketing campaignParent company Aheuser-Busch InBev has yet to strike a deal with the Teamsters Union ahead of a February deadline, which would be the first work stoppage at the iconic brewer in nearly half a century.Apart from the usual grievances such as wages and benefits, the union is particularly miffed that the company spent $3.5 billion on marketing in the first half of 2023 and specifically on its campaign with the transgender influencer..The company has since tried to make up for the fiasco by courting its more masculine consumer base with Super Bowl ads starring Peyton Manning and Lionel Messi that reportedly cost $7 million each. It also entered into a long-term sponsorship deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and International Olympic Committee.Meanwhile its market share has continued to decline due in part to the rising popularity of beer alternatives such as seltzer and cannabis among younger consumers.“We’re looking at job security and they’ve spent tens of millions of dollars on a couple of Super Bowl ads,” said Jeffrey Padellaro, a director for the Teamsters representing employees in the brewery, bakery and soft drink industries..If a deal isn’t reached, 5,000 workers in 12 cities across the US are prepared to walk off the job starting March 1. They’re demanding a five-year contract that offers better health care, job security and wages.If so, it would mark the first strike at Anheuser-Busch since 1976, ahead of the peak summer beer drinking season.
