Country music superstar John Rich revealed some shocking insider information on Bud Light to nationally syndicated radio host Joe Pags during a Monday interview.
While in conversation with Pags, Rich was diplomatic but didn’t hold back while describing the impact of Bud Light’s recent decision to make a talentless transgender its brand ambassador. The move hit sales in his bar, other brands owned by its parent company, Anheuser-Busch. It also has long-term socio-cultural implications, all of which were created thanks to the marketing campaign developed by Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid.
“Can you think of another move that any person like her — she’s a VP or marketing or something — has made that cost a company almost $7 billion in one week? Is there even a parallel to this?” Rich asked Pags, who couldn’t think of another example either.
“You know what else I wouldn’t put on a bottle or can of Bud Light? An AR-15,” Rich told Pags earlier in the interview. “I wouldn’t put anything on my brand that would alienate half the country or more.”
Shooting Bud Light cans might be an olympic sport by the end of all thishttps://t.co/14R4bDvsrS
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 10, 2023
He followed up by describing how Bud Light used to be a drink that united so many different demographics of hardworking Americans, but has now destroyed itself. Rich owns one of Nashville’s most popular bars, the Redneck Riviera. Sales of Bud Light used to be the biggest by a huge margin compared to other drinks. But they’ve now stopped completely, Rich continued.
Redneck Riviera’s general manager called Rich shortly after Bud Light launched its marketing campaign, describing the heaps of unsold kegs, cans, and bottles taking up space at the Broadway establishment. (RELATED: If You’re Mad At Bud Light Now, Remembering How Cool They Were In The 90s Will Make It Even Worse)
“It’s the first time in my life I’ve seen a beer truck pull up to a bar and take beer out of the bar instead of putting beer into the bar. It’s pretty crazy,” Rich continued, giggling slightly. In fact, the phrase “Bud Light” has already become a way to shame people, Rich noted, giving some hilarious examples (that I will be using in my own life).
According to sources close to Rich and the Bud Light situation, each of Anheuser-Busch’s beers has their own unique silo to conduct business. So Bud Light has separate marketing, accounting — everything — from Budweiser, for example. Budweiser was apparently unaware that Bud Light had signed with Mulvaney. But it’s still unclear how the long-term impacts of this marketing decision will impact the company as a whole.
You can watch the full interview here: