Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light's vice president of marketing, has taken a temporary leave of absence after the beer brand was criticized and boycotted by far-right personalities for its collaboration with transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney.

Heinerscheid, who has led the brand since last June, will be replaced by Budweiser's vice president of global marketing, Todd Allen, according to U.S. marketing magazine Ad Age.

Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch (the brewer's parent company) have faced a 'tsunami' of backlash over their association with the trans activist and influencer, popular for her '365 Days of Girlhood' video series, which chronicles the first year of her transition.

"If we don't attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand, there will be no future for Bud Light," Heinerscheid explained last month. "What does it mean to 'evolve and elevate'? It means inclusion. It means changing the tone. It means having a campaign that is truly inclusive and feels lighter, brighter and different, and that appeals to women and men."

"The best gift"

The controversy erupted on April 1 with the publication of a promotional video on Dylan Mulvaney's Instagram account. She appeared with a Bud Light in her hand very grateful to have received a personalized can with her face to celebrate the first anniversary of her gender transition.

"I celebrate my 365 days living as a woman and Bud Light has sent me the best gift in the world," she said with a smile. The 26-year-old actress has a low-key notoriety but having described her transition process openly and standing up for LGBT+ rights has become the target of scorn from conservatives.

In recent weeks, familiar faces of the American right have made calls to stop buying Bud Light, the best-selling in the country and with which they historically felt very identified. Some of them posted pictures destroying cans or bottles of Bud Light.

The executive became the first woman to lead Bud Light in the brand's 40-year history and was recognized by Ad Age magazine in 2022 as one of the 40 rising stars under 40 in marketing, advertising and media.

She was promoted to her current role after nearly eight years at Anheuser-Busch in various marketing roles, including a recent stint as vice president of direct-to-consumer marketing, which includes e-commerce.

He created the position of vice president of Bud Light Blue, which references the core brand, and proposed it to a senior Anheuser-Busch executive through a 30-page speech. He arrived after nearly four years of working on Bud Light, including overseeing the 2019 Game of Thrones Super Bowl ad.

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