Budweiser announced Sunday that Daniel Blake, group vice president for marketing at Anheuser-Busch, would be taking a leave of absence amid the ongoing controversy over Bud Light’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, according to reports.
Blake’s announcement comes on the heels of Budweiser marketing executive Alissa Heinerschneid’s decision to take a leave of absence. Daniel Blake, who started with the company as an intern, oversaw the marketing across Budweiser’s mainstream brands, including Stella Artois and Busch. The pair’s decisions to take leaves of absence from the company were not voluntary, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Blake also spearheaded multiple successful advertising campaigns for the company, including a 2017 Super Bowl commercial. (RELATED: REPORT: Bud Light Marketing Exec Who Slammed ‘Fratty’ Culture On Leave Of Absence Amid Company Shakeup)
Bud Light Marketing Exec Daniel Blake ‘on Leave’ After Dylan Mulvaney Ad Campaign https://t.co/hHpqCEaTgN
— Jake Wright (@VijayaYourFired) April 24, 2023
Following Bud Light’s partnership with Mulvaney, a slew of conservative celebrities, politicians and activists called for a boycott against the brand. Republican Missouri state Sen. Nick Schroeder recorded himself taking a baseball bat to a can of Bud Light outside of the Missouri General Assembly. Musician Kid Rock recorded himself shooting at cases of Bud Light, and country music star Travis Tritt banned Bud Light from being sold on his tour.
Donald Trump Jr., on the other hand, urged conservatives in mid-April to stop boycotting the Anheuser-Busch.
The ongoing backlash against Bud Light also seems to have had an economic impact on the company. According to Beer Business Daily, Bud Light sales plummeted 10.7 percent in the first week of April.