Beer Wars: Bud Light Responds

More than a month after the launch of its controversial Super Bowl ad campaign, Bud Light remains committed to the message that launched America’s beer wars.

“Consumers are demanding more transparency around the food and drink they consume and Bud Light is leading the transparency movement for beer,” a spokesman for Bud Light told Drovers/AgWeb in an email. “The Bud Light ads are meant to illustrate a point of difference between Bud Light and its competitors.”

Specifically, Bud Light’s advertising touts the fact its beer is not brewed with corn syrup but competitors Miller Lite and Coors Light use the product. All three brewers have been active on social media since the Super Bowl, as have farmers and farm organizations.

On Monday (March 4), MillerCoors thanked Anheuser-Busch in an interview with U.S. Farm Report, claiming the controversy has led to a decline in sales of Bud Light beer. Meanwhile, MillerCoors said sales of Miller Lite are increasing and Coors Light sales are flat.

Anheuser-Busch InBev isn’t backing down, however. The ad is still airing on television and the company continues to defend its Super Bowl ad, saying consumers have a right to know what’s in their beer.

“While Bud Light has never used corn syrup, Anheuser-Busch does use it in certain value brands, which are driven by price,” the Bud Light spokesman continued in the email to Drovers/AgWeb. “Anheuser-Busch proudly supports farmers and the agricultural community. We source our ingredients from U.S. farmers, including 98% of our barley, 100% of our rice and all of our corn – for a total investment of $5.5 billion over the past 10 years. Last year, Anheuser-Busch purchased more than 1 billion pounds of corn ingredients. We fully support corn growers and will continue to invest in the corn industry.”

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Beer Wars: Bud Light Responds

JOB TITLE: PRE-SELL DAIRY HYGIENE SUPPLIES SALES SPECIALIST