Bud Light has pegged right-leaning comedian Shane Gillis as its newest partner.
Mr. Gillis, star of the Netflix comedy special “Beautiful Dogs,” announced the new deal on Instagram on Jan. 30. “Excited to announce partnership with Bud Light,” the stand-up comic wrote.
The flagship beer brand shared a similar sentiment on the platform, writing: “Welcome to the team @shanemgillis, excited to be a part of your 2024 tour.”
The new partnership comes after a tumultuous year for Bud Light. In 2023, the Anheuser-Busch-owned beer company faced significant backlash over its partnership with TikTok personality Dylan Mulvaney—which the company said was an attempt at broadening its customer base.
On Apr. 1, the transgender influencer, who transitioned from male to female, shared a video on social media as part of the brand’s promotional campaign for the NCAA’s March Madness college basketball tournament. “This month, I celebrated my day 365 of womanhood, and Bud Light sent me possibly the best gift ever: a can with my face on it,” the influencer said.
Following the release of the sponsored ad, customers launched a boycott of the brand, causing sales of Bud Light to plummet across the country. In October, Anheuser-Busch reported a 13.5 percent decline in its third-quarter revenue in the United States, leading the company to lose its coveted spot as America’s best-selling beer.
Bud Light’s parent company immediately attempted to distance itself from the controversy. In a statement, Anheuser-Busch’s chief executive officer, Brendan Whitworth, said: “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.”
The Epoch Times has reached out to Anheuser-Busch and Mr. Gillis for further comment.
Gillis Bounces Back After ‘Cancellation’
Mr. Gillis—known for his sketch series “Gilly & Keeves” and comedy podcast, “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast”—has previously been mired in controversy, too.
Most notably, the comedian was reportedly hired and then subsequently fired from Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 2019 after recordings surfaced of him making racist and homophobic comments.
“On the podcast that Gillis co-hosted with Matt McCusker, there were these instances where they used racial slurs, homophobic and misogynistic language, just in conversation,” NPR’s media critic Eric Deggans said at the time. “We’ve got a clip where Gillis talks about how he is annoyed by Asian people who don’t speak English well in restaurants.”
In a statement released following Mr. Gillis’s termination, an SNL spokesperson said: “We were not aware of his prior remarks that have surfaced over the past few days. The language he used is offensive, hurtful and unacceptable. We are sorry that we did not see these clips earlier, and that our vetting process was not up to our standard.”
Mr. Gillis also released his own statement: “It feels ridiculous for comedians to be making serious public statements but here we are. I’m a comedian who was funny enough to get SNL. That can’t be taken away.”
He continued: “Of course, I wanted an opportunity to prove myself at SNL, but I understand it would be too much of a distraction. I respect the decision they made. I’m honestly grateful for the opportunity. I was always a mad tv [sic] guy anyway.”
Despite his cancellation by SNL and the subsequent wave of criticism he faced, Mr. Gillis has made a comeback of his own.
He released his debut comedy special, “Shane Gillis: Live in Austin,” on YouTube in 2021, which has garnered more than 22 million views to date. His 2023 Netflix special, released Sept. 5, was also well-received, landing on the streaming platform’s “Top 10” list of most popular shows shortly after its release.
Bud Light Sets Its Sights on Super Bowl Touchdown
In an apparent bid for a comeback—and to repair its damaged relationship with its core consumer base—Bud Light has set its sights on the upcoming Super Bowl, scheduled for Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Pivoting back to more traditional male-oriented advertising, the company revealed in November 2023 that it had partnered with country music artist Zach Bryan to headline its concert event during Super Bowl LVIII weekend, which will take place on Feb. 9 at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
In December 2023, the beer giant teamed up with NFL icons Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith, both Super Bowl Champions and Pro Football Hall of Famers, to help kick off the brand’s biggest Super Bowl ticket giveaway.
Bud Light has also tapped rapper Post Malone, who previously partnered with the company, to star in its 2024 Super Bowl ad. The Grammy-nominated singer is also expected to perform “America the Beautiful” before kickoff.
“The Super Bowl is advertising’s biggest moment, and our goal is to once again captivate our audience when the world is watching,” Kyle Norrington, chief commercial officer of Anheuser-Busch, said in a statement. “We’re showing up big time in this moment that matters for our beer drinkers and football fans across the country.”
By Audrey Enjoli
From The Epoch Times
