Latest news with #BudLight
Newsweek
29 minutes ago
- Business
- Newsweek
What Happened to All the Corporate Pride Logos?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. In a notable shift from recent years, a number of blue-chip corporations and sports organizations are quietly scaling back their public-facing support for LGBTQ+ Pride Month in 2025. About 39 percent of corporate executives say their companies are reducing public Pride efforts this year, according to a recent survey from Gravity Research. That includes less frequent use of rainbow-themed logos, fewer social media posts and scaled-back sponsorships of Pride events. The Context The change comes as brands grapple with political pressure and the fallout from past controversies, including 2023's high-profile backlash against Bud Light and Target for LGBTQ-inclusive campaigns. This pivot coincides with the Trump administration's scrutiny over both federal and private sector DEI programs. Multiple federal agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), have reportedly threatened investigations into corporate diversity practices. What To Know The muted corporate response this year marks a break from recent traditions. BMW, for example, updated its logo across its global social media footprint last June to reflect Pride Month, even going so far as to defend the decision when a user on X questioned why the rainbow flag was conspicuously absent on its Middle East corporate logos. This is an established practice at the BMW Group, which also takes into consideration market-specific legal regulations and country-specific cultural aspects (4/4) — BMW (@BMW) June 1, 2024 But in 2025, the German carmaker has not repeated the gesture, according to a Newsweek analysis of the company's public-facing social media accounts. Cisco, the Silicon Valley tech giant, also skipped updating its logo this year after incorporating the rainbow flag into its logo as recently as 2024. BMW's Facebook page in 2025 versus 2024. BMW's Facebook page in 2025 versus 2024. Facebook Cisco's Facebook page in 2025 versus 2024. Cisco's Facebook page in 2025 versus 2024. Cisco Newsweek reached out to both Cisco and BMW for comment. The NFL, too, has seen reduced visibility: Only four teams—the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers—have changed their logos to mark Pride this June. Most others have remained silent, a departure from the broader participation seen in prior years. According to the ML Football account on X, 12 NFL teams haven't posted about Pride Month: the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys. Recent public backlash to corporate Pride campaigns has cast a long shadow. Bud Light's partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney spurred boycotts, political outrage and a significant loss of revenue for parent company AB Inbev. Bud Light even lost its long-held position as America's top-selling beer in May 2023, when it was overtaken by Modelo. Target removed Pride merchandise from stores after staff received threats based on viral social media posts. This year, the retailer is limiting Pride products to select stores, with the full collection only available online. Bank of America is also among the brands that appears to have abandoned much of their Pride marketing following the 2023 backlash, dropping the hashtag #BofAPride for the second consecutive year. The campaign had run uninterrupted from 2018 to 2023. Longtime corporate sponsors are also backing away from public Pride involvement. NYC Pride lost support from Nissan and PepsiCo, while San Francisco Pride saw Comcast, Anheuser-Busch and Diageo withdraw sponsorships. Even defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton dropped its DEI division and abandoned its WorldPride 2025 commitment, despite the global event behind held in its backyard of Washington, D.C. this year. The decisions reflects a broader cultural and political shift, with many executives citing the Trump administration's hostile stance toward diversity programs and transgender rights as a core reason for retreating. In January, shortly after Trump's return to the White House, the State Department enacted a "one flag policy," banning U.S. embassies and overseas missions from flying pride or Black Lives Matter flags. What People Are Saying Jeff Melnyk, founding partner at the corporate consulting firm Within People, on LinkedIn Pulse: "Pride was started as a riot by people shouting for change," he wrote. "Before our flag becomes part of your logo, consider what you are really standing for." Sarah Kate Ellis, president of advocacy group GLAAD, to CNN: "I do see there's pivoting happening (for Pride Month). What I don't see is corporates walking away from the LGBTQ community." What Happens Next A number of events and celebrations will take place in the U.S. during Pride Month. The annual WorldPride event is ongoing in D.C., and pride marches and parades will take place in cities including New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago in the weeks ahead. Those events are expected to have fewer high-profile corporate sponsors than in past years. In New York, the organization behind NYC Pride reported a $750,000 budget shortfall after some sponsors scaled back or ended their support of the annual festivities.
New York Post
5 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
Trump reveals his nickname for Kid Rock, cheers singer's new MAGA-friendly restaurant
President Trump celebrated the opening of Kid Rock's MAGA-friendly restaurant in Nashville — and revealed his nickname for the singer. The Michigan-born rapper/rocker, whose name is Robert James Ritchie, launched his all-American-themed seafood joint on Tuesday. 'Congratulations to my friend, Kid Rock (I call him Bob!), on the Grand Opening of his new Nashville restaurant, 'The Detroit Cowboy,'' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post late on Monday. 4 Kid Rock stands near President Trump in the Oval Office in March as he signs an executive order banning ticket scalping. 'I hear it is a very friendly MAGA establishment, and look forward to going there sometime soon!' The 'Redneck Paradise' singer responded in a post on X: 'Thank you, Mr. President. Keep kickin' ass for America, sir!' A huge bald eagle mural with red, white and blue wings can be seen in photos covering a wall in the restaurant, which drew 'Fox & Friends' to its grand opening to interview Kid Rock. 4 Kid Rock posing in his latest Nashville restaurant The Detroit Cowboy near a bald eagle mural. The Detroit Cowboy The musician, known for blending rap and country-style rock music, has been a Trump supporter since his first term, though Kid Rock has grown into a particularly close ally over the past year. He performed at the 2024 Republican National Convention, and has sided with the MAGA movement on several occasions. Last May, Rolling Stone published a piece titled 'How Kid Rock Went From America's Favorite Hard-Partying Rock Star to a MAGA Mouthpiece.' 4 Kid Rock and President Trump on a golf course. X / @KidRock In 2023, Kid Rock was at the center of the boycott over Bud Light partnering with transgender social media star Dylan Mulvaney. He posted a video showing him shooting cans of Bud Light with an MP5 submachine gun and declaring 'F— Anheuser-Busch.' He said last year that he has moved on from the boycott movement. Detroit Cowboy is the budding restaurateur's second eatery in Nashville Last month, a Nashville news outlet reported that his Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N' Roll Steakhouse sent home employees without legal citizenship status in the middle of a rush to avoid ICE agents. The 'Picture' singer slammed the claims, which were picked up by several major news outlets. 4 Kid Rock, Alina Habba, President Trump and Dana White at a UFC fight in Madison Square Garden. Instagram/Alina Habba 'Clearly I do not have anything to do with day-to-day operations at my Honky Tonk — but it's good click bait, I get it,' he wrote in a post on X. 'That being said I 100% support getting illegal criminals out of our country no matter where they are. I also like President Trump want to speed up the process of getting GREAT immigrants into our country – LEGALLY!'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
New England Patriots Prompt Right-Wing Freak Out With Pride Post
Some conservatives absolutely lost it on Sunday after the New England Patriots posted an image online to mark the first day of Pride Month. 'We celebrate together,' the NFL team captioned a picture showing the LGBTQ+ pride flag on the big screen at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. 'Pride is a sin,' commented one user on X, the Elon Musk-owned platform formerly named Twitter. 'We're so sick of this,' said another. Added a third: 'No we don't. It is Veterans Appreciation Month. I see why Tom Brady left y'all. Disgusting.' Some claimed to have 'fixed' the image by swapping the pride flag for the Stars and Stripes. Others demanded a boycott of the Patriots, referencing the attempted right-wing cancelation of Bud Light following its partnership with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney. Defenders of the post, though, said the hatred exhibited in the comments only served to show exactly why Pride Month, in honor of recognizing the LGBTQ+ community, was so important. The Patriots is yet to respond to the vitriol leveled at its post. But in 2022, after sharing a similar post celebrating Pride Month, it wrote online: 'Our comment section is monitored and there is no room for hate.' Trump's Answer To Question About Elon Musk Has Everyone Pointing Out Same Thing Trump 'Clearly' Wants To Avoid 1 Thing With Elon Musk, Says Maggie Haberman Kayleigh McEnany Makes Chilling Demand For '60 Minutes' Reporter Over Anti-Trump Speech
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Anheuser-Busch taps UFC's Dana White for a new energy drink
With beer sales flatlining, Anheuser-Busch is looking beyond hops and toward Ultimate Fighting Championship's controversial boss Dana White to help them crack the growing energy drink category. Launching nationwide Wednesday is Phorm Energy, the company's newest energy drink. The non-alcoholic caffeinated beverage marks the first product stemming from Anheuser-Busch's previously announced partnership with White aimed at expanding into the $24 billion energy drinks category. Like similar products, Phorm Energy has zero sugar or artificial flavors, contains electrolytes and is naturally caffeinated from green tea extract. The drink comes in four varieties: grape, orange, blue, and 'Screamin' Freedom,' which is a mixture of blueberry, cherry and citrus flavors. A 16-ounce can costs $2.99. Beer sales have been declining for the past several years, falling again more than 1% in 2024 according to Brewers Association, as drinkers shift their preferences to spirits or increasingly ditch drinking. That has forced Big Beer to search for alternatives, including expanding into spirit-based cocktails, non-alcoholic varieties and even energy drinks, with the latter forecasted to balloon into a $33 billion category in the next five years, according to research firm Mintel. Energy drinks have been a successful gambit for rival Molson Coors, which recently purchased a majority ownership stake in Zoa, a brand co-founded by actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Zoa has repeat purchase rates of 50%, and Coors said its 'ability to attract new consumers to the energy category' made it an appealing acquisition. However, Anheuser-Busch has been less successful. In 2017, the company bought energy seltzer water brand Hiball, but sold it six years later to Tilray Brands. The cult-favorite drink was recently relaunched by its new owners. Then in 2020, Anheuser-Busch bought a 40% stake in energy drink Ghost, which used the beer conglomerate's distribution network. However, that came to an end last year when Keurig Dr Pepper bought Ghost in a $1 billion deal and took over its operations. Following that, Anheuser-Busch's wholesalers and partners 'had been looking toward 'what's next' in the energy drinks space,' according to Jenn Litz-Kirk, director of content for Beer Business Daily, a trade publication. 'In some ways, this new move is a no-brainer: With the imminent launch of Phorm, it seems like Anheuser-Busch is trying to recreate the Ghost formula,' she told CNN. 'The energy segment is hot, and it's a high-margin proposition for both retailers and distributors.' The launch of Phorm Energy further entrenches Anheuser-Busch's relationship with the controversial White. The pair partnered in 2023 when Bud Light became the official sponsor of his mixed martial arts league following the Dylan Mulvaney debacle. A social media post from Mulvaney, a transgender influencer, promoting Bud Light sparked a massive backlash, costing the company as much as $1.4 billion in sales that year. As for White's involvement, Litz-Kirk said it's ''red meat' for a certain cohort of energy drink consumers,' pointing out that UFC is growing in popularity and that White has a massive following of 10 million on Instagram. Anheuser-Busch's other partner for the energy drink, 1st Phorm, is also linked to controversy. Last year, police departments in St. Louis, where the company is based, cut ties with 1st Phorm after its cofounder Andy Frisella made offensive comments about female police officers on his podcast. Sal Frisella, 1st Phorm's CEO and Andy's brother, said the comments were spoken on a personal podcast that wasn't affiliated with the company. 'We do not agree with his statements, and we do not condone the words or the context in which they were presented,' Sal said at the time. Andy no longer leads the company. Litz-Kirk said Anheuser-Busch likely doesn't think Andy's comments were a 'big deal' since the partnership was announced in January and there hasn't been any blowback from wholesalers. Sign in to access your portfolio
Glasgow Times
26-05-2025
- Glasgow Times
Price of pint in Glasgow Airport as cheapest airport revealed
WildPack American Summer Camps have studied the leading 15 airports across the UK to review how much they charge for a pint of beer, The Scottish Sun reports. They found Edinburgh Airport serves the cheapest airport beer in Scotland with the a pint of Bud Light costing £5.20 at The Sir Walter Scott. READ NEXT: When will sunshine return to Glasgow after mini heatwave ended? Glasgow Airport came in at number two, with a pint of Tennents costing £6.25 at the Pier Bar. Stats show that one in three Brits head straight to the pub once they are checked in at the airport. Edinburgh Airport also topped the list in Scotland for the cheapest cooked breakfast and cheapest hot lunch or dinner.
