By Mark Gray
11:00am PST, Nov 25, 2023
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Celebrity endorsements go farther back than anyone can possibly remember, and the hawking often pays off for both the star and the company they're promoting. However, sometimes things go astray with marketing campaigns…
In the case of Anheuser-Busch, a calamitously ineffective partnership cost a high-ranking official his job.
In March 2023, trans activist and influencer Dylan Mulvaney partnered with the beer giant Bud Light to promote a March Madness contest — her face was even printed on one of Bud Light's famous blue cans. There was backlash almost immediately, particularly from conservatives who felt this was "wokeism" and "gender propaganda." Although the cans featuring Dylan's face were only made for her and were not available to the general public, critics lashed out. Social media was littered with videos of people throwing Bud Light and other Anheuser-Busch products in the garbage. Music star Kid Rock made headlines when he shot cans of Bud Light with an assault weapon. Amid the fallout, Anheuser-Busch's stock shares plummeted.
A few months later, Dylan took aim at Anheuser-Busch, claiming the company completely went "silent" on her when criticism reached a fever pitch. "For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse, in my opinion, than not hiring a trans person at all, because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want," she said on June 29. In claiming the beer giant abandoned her and never reached out amid the backlash, she was left with "a loneliness that I wouldn't wish on anyone." After hearing her criticism, Anheuser-Busch released a statement claiming it's "committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community." The statement continued, "The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority. As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best — brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers."
Later, Dylan fled to Peru in July 2023 after no longer feeling "safe" in America. "I came here to feel something. And I definitely have. I have done shaman ceremonies that were like 10 years worth of therapy, it was wild," she said of her time in Peru, during which she visited Machu Picchu. Following her trip to South America, Dylan said she's "feeling like my own best friend again."
The ripple effects of the partnership (and sales decline) were felt all year and in October, Bud Light did a 180 after embracing the trans influencer and entered into a $100 million partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Weeks later in November 2023, Anheuser-Busch's chief marketing officer, Benoit Garbe, announced his resignation. "These senior leadership changes will accelerate our return to growth as we continue to focus on what we do best — brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter," Anheuser-Busch said while echoing their earlier statement.
Keep reading to see other celebrity endorsements that caused controversy and seemed to miss the mark…
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In 2017, Kendall Jenner was widely mocked after partnering with Pepsi for a commercial/short film that was supposed to highlight unity. In it, the model successfully achieved harmony between police and protesters by offering a cop a can of Pepsi. Many felt the ad was completely tone deaf. The ad hit very close to home for some considering protesters and police have clashed in real life over the last several years, often with violent outcomes. Critics thought the ad was an example of exploitation for profit and took to Twitter to skewer Pepsi and Kendall. Ultimately, the soda brand took down the ad and apologized to Kendall. In a trailer for the 14th season of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," Kendall discussed the ad controversy with sister Kim Kardashian, saying, "It feels like my life is over."
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Yardley Cosmetics is a legendary brand in the United Kingdom, as it's supplied the royal family with products for centuries. In the '90s, the company partnered with Helena Bonham Carter and paid her $500,000 to work with them. But Helena then publicly wondered why she was picked as the face of the brand. "I don't know why Yardley chose me, I don't wear much makeup," she said. It didn't take long for the company to seek an end to the partnership.
MORE: Stars who got fired from major projects
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In 2017, music star DJ Khaled and boxer Floyd Mayweather were sued for endorsing a cryptocurrency company, Centra Tech, that essentially went belly up and, in doing so, allegedly screwed investors out of millions of dollars. At one point, the music producer even called the virtual currency company the "ultimate winner" and a "game changer." The endorsements and claims worked, with Centra Tech raised $32 million in its initial offering, according to TMZ, which reported on the lawsuit. However, according to the webloid, the Securities and Exchange Commission alleged the company behind the cryptocurrency company was operating illegally and was misleading investors. In addition, the SEC determined that the website listed several executives who didn't even exist. Khaled and Floyd agreed to pay penalties without admitting to wrongdoing.
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Blackberry's partnership with Alicia Keys went south with one keystroke. By 2013, Blackberry was quickly losing market share to Apple's iPhone, so the company partnered with the music star and made her its new creative director. The hope was that she could turn around the flailing smartphone and mobile device brand. But a few days after the partnership was announced, the singer sent out a tweet… from her iPhone! Trying to minimize the damage, she said her phone was hacked, though few believed her. The partnership didn't last much longer.
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When you don't back the brand, things are bad. In the mid '80s, the Beef Industry Council (yes, it's a thing) hired actress Cybill Shepherd to be its public face. While discussing the partnership in an interview, Cybill said she tried to "stay away from red meat." Beef, by the way, is red meat. Her contract with the beef people wasn't renewed. It's not hard to figure out why.
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David Beckham promoted a hair care product called Brylcreem during his soccer-playing days across the pond. Known for always having trendsetting hairstyles, the partnership seemed like a match made in heaven. However, midway through the four-year, $6 million contract, David shaved his head. The company stood by Becks but sales dropped 25% after his shearing.
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Mishandled partnerships have been going on for ages. In 1989, Pepsi paid Madonna $5 million (equivalent to about $12 million now) to use her then-new song "Like a Prayer" in its advertising campaign. The commercial aired once. The following day, the controversial music video for the song — which featured Catholic symbols, a dream about kissing a Black saint and the Ku Klux Klan burning crosses — was released. Pepsi soon pulled the commercial amid pressure from angry church leaders. The Material Girl's Pepsi partnering days were over.
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Let's just say Hertz and football star-turned-actor O.J. Simpson's partnership ended abruptly. The Juice was a spokesman for the car rental company for decades before he was arrested for allegedly killing his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Although O.J. was acquitted of criminal charges (he was later found legally responsible for their deaths in a civil trial), his endorsement days were done. He was — and largely still is — considered radioactive. At the time of the arrest and ensuing "Trial of the Century," a Hertz executive said, "Regrettably, O.J. Simpson is as highly identified with Hertz as he is with football."
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LeBron James was a celebrity spokesman for the Samsung Galaxy Note III in 2014, but things went from bad to worse after a technological glitch involving his device. "My phone just erased everything it had in it and rebooted," the NBA superstar tweeted. "One of the sickest feelings I've ever had in my life!!!" Yeah, that's not a ringing endorsement for the brand. Oof!
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Lena Dunham's 2018 collaboration with Revolve wasn't supposed to go this way. At the time, the clothing brand released a sweatshirt that read, "Being fat is not beautiful, it's an excuse." The woman modeling the sweatshirt was hardly overweight. Clearly, many felt this was a fat-shaming message. Lena soon weighed in and acknowledged that she worked with Revolve to "highlight quotes from prominent women who have experienced internet trolling & abuse." Proceeds from the sale of the sweatshirts were meant to go to charities that help empower young women. "Without consulting me or any of the women involved, @revolve presented the sweatshirts on thin white women, never thinking about the fact that difference and individuality is what gets you punished on the Internet, or that lack of diversity in representation is a huge part of the problem (in fact, the problem itself)," she wrote on Instagram. "As a result, I cannot support this collaboration or lend my name to it in any way." She said she was "deeply disappointed" in the clothing brand's handling of a "sensitive topic" and a "collaboration rooted in reclaiming the words of internet trolls to celebrate the beauty in diversity and bodies and experiences that aren't the industry norm."
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Michael Phelps was America's golden boy for several Olympic Games, and the swimmer's notoriety landed him endorsement deals with AT&T, Rosetta Stone, Subway and Kellogg's, among others. But a photo of him smoking marijuana emerged in 2009. AT&T and Rosetta Stone didn't renew his contract, and Kellogg's publicly condemned him. Subway, though, stayed the course, as it was still reeling from previous company poster boy Jared Fogle's child pornography case. The image might not have been a deal breaker in today's climate, as marijuana usage and sales are legal in many states.
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Christian Dior inked Sharon Stone to a sponsorship deal in 2008, but the marriage only lasted a few months due to comments the actress made. While speaking about an earthquake in China that killed 68,000 people, Sharon labeled it "bad karma." "I'm not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else. And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, 'Is that karma? When you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?'" she said in a chat with a Hong Kong news channel. After catching wind of the comment, Chinese critics revolted and all of her films were banned in the country. Knowing the size of the Chinese market, Dior understood it couldn't make money with Sharon as its face, so she was dropped. Her posters were all pulled from China as well.
