As it turns out, making Dylan Mulvaney a brand ambassador for Bud Light was NOT the brainchild of disgraced former Vice President of Marketing Alissa Heinersceid. Capitv8 (like "captivate" only with the number "8" because... reasons) are the ones who paired the titface performer and TikTok ingénue with the beer company. And not unlike the beer company, Capitiv8 is in panic mode.
Apparently being responsible for a colossal marketing blunder that destroys a brand's reputation and costs a company b-b-b-billions of dollars is not a not look for a marketing company.
Shocker, the company is based in San Francisco
When Anheuser-Busch claimed this was all the fault of an independent ad agency, they were talking about the San Francisco-based Capitiv8. Sources tell the New York Post the firm -- which boasts a database of more than 1 million influencers on YouTube, TikTok, etc. -- has been sent into "serious panic mode" over the 26 billion dollars mistake that's turned into a textbook case of marketing gone wrong.
“There was a lot of chatter” among employees about what blowback the firm might face over the botched campaign, according to the source.
“Internally, the company was in serious panic mode,” the source added.
Capitv8 did not respond to the Post's request for comment.
So how exactly did this work?
The Post could not confirm if it was Captiv8's idea to put Mulvaney's face on the can to celebrate 365 days of "girl"hood. Nor could they confirm if the influencer ad agency had a hand in producing Mulvaney's content that insulted Bud Light's customer base.
We need a "Twitter-Files" -esque investigation into how this came about. I'm picturing a conversation between Bud Light VP Melissa Weinerchild and Krishna Subramanian, founder of Captiv8.
WEINERCHILD: Too many fratty and out-of-touch cis white men enjoy Bud Light. I'm looking for a campaign that will market Bud Light to people who don't drink Bud Light.
SUBMARINER: Have I got an act for you! We've got this guy, or this girl. It gets confusing.
WEINERCHILD: OMG, I know, right?
SUBMARINER: Anyway this -- them -- is so hot right now on TikTok. Dylan Mulvaney. S/he records videos acting out a vapid stereotype about women.
WEINERCHILD: That...sounds kinda offensive.
SUBMARINER: See, that's the thing. Because she's trans and they say they are celebrating Day X of Girlhood, it's not offensive at all. It's tolerance and equity.
WEINERCHILD: I know those words!
SUBMARINER: See? And the best part is if anyone criticizes you, you can call them a transphobe. One video with Dylan and you won't have to worry about your ESG score for an entire fiscal year.
WEINERCHILD: Done! Send he/she/they/it doesn't matter a case of Bud Light. I have a podcast to do.
No one is sure what will become of Captiv8 after this. Maybe they can make a comeback by signing that Mizzy character as the new spokesman for Target's new Department of Social Justice. It's a woke company. There's nowhere else to fail but up!
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Brodigan is Grand Poobah of this here website and when he isn't writing words about things enjoys day drinking, pro-wrestling, and country music. You can find him on the Twitter too.
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June 05, 2023 at 07:37AM - Brodigan
"Influencer ad agency" responsible for Dylan Mulvaney/Bud Light fiasco is in serious panic mode too
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