The brewing giant met with wholesalers on Tuesday at the National Beer Wholesalers Association Legislative conference to help “dispel potential retailer misconception” about the Mulvaney campaign, according to Beer Business Daily, an influential industry newsletter. Anheuser-Busch sought to correct “misinformation” and “confusion” about the can given to Mulvaney, reiterating that it wasn’t a formal campaign or advertisement, according to the company’s memo to distributors, obtained by BBD.
Del Papa Distributing earlier this week told retailers that the Mulvaney campaign wasn’t a “political statement and the can was produced by a third-party ad agency, not A-B.” “The importance of that decision means that the voices of upset consumers have been heard and that those responsible for harming the highly respected reputation of Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch are no longer able to do so,” the distributor said in its statement.