No one thought it was going to be easy for Bud Light to fight its way out of the transphobic pile-on it invited upon itself earlier this year. Least of all, me: I think Anheuser-Busch InBev’s execs made critical errors containing the tempest in the Tea Party, first by staying silent and then by hewing to an cowardly centrism, and I’ve written thousands of words to that effect.
Even with that dim view of its crisis management, I consider the macrobrewer a sophisticated marketer. I figured that after it shut up and played the hits for a while, ABI would regain its footing and find slick, clever new messaging and placements for its flailing flagship. Bud Light’s first big sponsorship since the firm entered the conservative crucible in April, though, is none of the above.