Brands love to insert themselves the online buzz that surrounds current events. This is the Era of Real-Time Marketing, after all! But sometimes, these efforts come across like a weird stranger interrupting a serious conversation.
Bud Light is the latest brand to stick its nose in a serious issue in a way that doesn’t feel quite right. The beer brand glommed on the recent trend of people changing their profile pictures to a red background with an equal sign to show support for gay marriage. It’s a light, easy way for people to weigh in as the Supreme Court goes into its second day of arguments over same sex marriage rights.
Bud Light, in is meant to be a show of support, tweeted and posted on Facebook an image of an equal sign made up of Bud Light cans. While it is nice to see a brand take an actual stand on a divisive issue, slapping its product front and center of the message kind of leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
It’s definitely a very fine line that brands have to walk when it comes to chiming in about important issues that don’t have to do with the brand or its products. For example, Absolut, which has always been a brand that supports gay rights, added its two cents by sharing an image of an Absolute bottle covered up in a red blanket with the words “Absolut Support” below it. Having the logo on the bottle covered makes it feel more genuinely about the cause than the brand. Oreo created a post about gay pride last year that went viral.
Do you find this brand response to be offensive or a positive show of support?
Not sure what to make of this from Budweiser twitter.com/jaredbkeller/s…
— Jared Keller (@jaredbkeller) March 27, 2013
(via @jaredbkeller)
Note: Article previously stated that Bud Light had tweeted the image and removed it, but this has been corrected. Bud Light only posted the image to its Facebook page, not Twitter.
-
Member ExclusiveDigiday+ Research: The future of agency work is remote(ish)
The share of agency professionals who said they do not want to return to full-time office work has risen by more than 40% this year.
-
How esports org 100 Thieves will boost its M&A strategy with $60M in Series C funding
As esports organizations expand their offerings in search of a cohesive and profitable business model, the acquisition of new companies can help bring in fresh ideas and unique revenue streams.
-
‘Brands have really taken note of this interest’: How Sanctuary is partnering with brands as Gen Z, millennials seek out astrology content
This year, brands like McCormack, Venmo, Away, Benjamin Moore and Le Creuset have worked with Sanctuary to create custom branded content -- matching paint colors, spending habits or cookware to specific astrology signs, for example -- that’s then posted on Sanctuary’s Instagram page.
-
SponsoredHow advertisers are shifting mindsets to succeed amid iOS 15 and other identity challenges
On top of the impending cookie deprecation, Apple’s recent iOS 15 changes are causing concern for many advertisers by affecting pixels, IP addresses and email addresses. While these upcoming changes may be concerning for many, shifting mindsets and getting away from a binary way of thinking with solutions being 100% contextual or 100% universal IDs […]
-
Myth buster: Misconceptions about the relationship between gamers and brands
With activity in the space ramping up, brands that are leery of getting involved in gaming could be leaving money on the table.
-
‘Time for a bigger advertising push’: Why hummus brand Ithaca is investing in OOH, radio now
By strategically placing the billboards outside of Wegmans in particular, Ithaca is hoping to get grocery shoppers to remember the brand when they are making their snack and dip purchases for football Sunday.
