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Harley Davidson is the latest company to garner backlash for supposedly going woke. The American motorcycle company became subject to controversy after their recent collaboration with now-infamous beer giant Budweiser. New Budweiser cans were released last week to celebrate the bike company’s 120th anniversary. Netizens have since taken to the internet to troll the two organizations relentlessly.
Budweiser and its parent company, Anheuser Busch, has been making headlines in recent weeks following their collaboration with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light released exclusive cans to celebrate the media personality completing “365 days of girlhood.” The company’s conservative customer base was outraged and flooded the internet with transphobic tweets. They soon announced that they were boycotting the company.
After facing the internet’s wrath, it seems like Budweiser was ready to make their comeback. Their latest cans which were made in collaboration with Harley Davidson feature phrases like “Kings of our Craft” and “Brewed and built in the USA.”
The advertisement featured a man working on his Harley bike and drinking the beer. The voiceover in the video said:
“The greatest legacies are built with grit and resilience. One detail at a time. Limited edition Budweiser- Harley Davidson cans for those who give everything to their craft. This Bud’s for you.”
Twitter user @CollinRugg took a dig at Budweiser after the advertisement went viral and wrote online:
“Anheuser-Busch wants you to know that they’re SUPER MANLY now. Desperation mode.”
Netizens respond to the viral Harley Davidson- Budweiser collaboration
Internet users were not pleased with the advertisement and trolled the bike company relentlessly. Many accused them of going “woke” and announced that they were not supporting them anymore. Others opined that Budweiser was doing their best to move past their Dylan Mulvaney scandal.
It is worth noting that Harley Davidson has not publicized their collaboration with the Anheuser Busch company on their social media accounts. It seems like the former is attempting to keep away from involving themselves in a controversy. Meanwhile, Budweiser USA has flooded their Instagram account promoting their latest creation.
Not only did Anheuser Busch bare the brunt of online criticism and crashing sales, their manufacturing facility in Los Angeles also received a bomb threat through a threatening email. In response to the growing criticism, CEO Brendan Whitworth said in a press release:
“We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer. I care deeply about this country, this company, our brands, and our partners. I spend much of my time traveling across America, listening to and learning from our customers, distributors, and others. Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation.”
Following the Bud Light controversy, several other companies came under fire from their conservative customer bases for supporting the LGBTQ community. Some of them include Target, Kohl’s, JCrew, and Build A Bear, among others.
Bud Light’s competition Miller Light was also accused of becoming woke after releasing a feminist advertisement.
