A “100% woke free” beer brand capitalized on the “opportunity” created in the aftermath of Bud Light’s controversial campaign with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
Freedom Speaks Up CEO Seth Weathers said his brand, Conservative Dad’s Ultra Right Beer, has “[blown] up overnight” for championing American values over woke ideologies.
“It’s wild what’s going on right now,” Weathers said on “Mornings with Maria” Wednesday. “Americans are looking for companies that are not woke that support their American values, our American values.”
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“I think people have finally had enough of woke corporations. And so I think when people are given an opportunity to look at a brand that’s not woke, they’re going to take the opportunity. We’ve moved into that position. And I think that you’re going to see us continue to grow for decades to come,” he added.
Since the campaign with Dylan Mulvaney earlier this year, Bud Light has faced massive backlash from longtime fans of the light beer brand. Bud Light even fell from the spotlight as the No. 1 Selling Beer Brand on a dollar basis in the U.S.
“I think it just shows you where Americans are,” Weathers said. “There was a point that we reached where enough was enough. And I think that’s where a lot of Americans were at. And I think that’s why Conservative Dads Ultra Right beer has been such a huge success.”
Bud Lights’ parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev reported earlier this month a steep drop in profits as a result of the boycott. The company announced that its U.S. revenue dropped 10.5% in the second quarter, while its earnings before taxes, interest and depreciation fell 28.2%. The second quarter covered April through the end of June and offers the first look at the damage caused by the Bud Light boycott, which began in April.
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Other beers, including Coors Light and Miller Lite, have rapidly consumed Bud Light’s market presence since the brand enlisted transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney for a marketing campaign, sparking criticism and the boycott push.
Modelo Especial is threatening to overtake Bud Light as the top-selling beer in the U.S. on the year.
The latest NielsenIQ data provided to FOX Business by Bump Williams Consulting shows Modelo, brewed by Constellation Brands, beat Bud Light in U.S. sales for the third consecutive month in July and is gaining on it for annual sales.
Conservative Dad’s Ultra Right Beer was founded by Weathers in the fallout from the Bud Light controversy as a “100% woke free” beer that can be enjoyed by “everyone.”
“We wanted a beer that everyone could drink. Everyone, that’s a broad term, obviously, but there are a lot of people who would appreciate and enjoy. A lot of Americans would enjoy drinking as a regular beer to have on a weekend. You don’t want to drink an IPA all the time. You also don’t want to drink beer flavored water all the time. So it is a very good mix somewhere in the middle from flavor and AB value as well,” he told host Cheryl Casone.
Ultra Right Beer has managed to secure statewide distribution in states like Georgia and Arkansas with other states lined up. Weathers noted getting statewide distribution so quickly after the company started is not a common thing in the industry.
“We’re sending in this beer out by the tractor trailer load,” he said. “You can go up to your local package store, and you’ve got all those other brands we talked about and you got Conservative Dad’s Ultra Right Beer displayed right next to them. So this doesn’t happen in the beer industry. You don’t just all of a sudden get statewide distribution and stores all over the place. It’s what the people have done and they’ve demanded it. And that’s what’s caused this.”
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As the company continues to grow, Weathers believes his anti-woke beer brand “is going to be a forever brand that supports the values of our drinkers.”
FOX Business’ Breck Dumas, Anders Hagstrom, Joe Toppe and Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.