Bud Light pulled out all the stops to show that the company does not use corn syrup in this year’s Super Bowl commercials, but some corn farmers were not pleased with the message.
Bud Light aired a series of medieval fantasy-themed ads in conjunction with Super Bowl LIII, emphasizing that the beer is “brewed without corn syrup.” It even emphasized that its closest competitors do use the sugar substitute, which carries many proven health risks. After the big game ad aired on Sunday, however, the National Corn Growers Association fired back on Twitter.
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“America’s corn farmers are disappointed in you,” the group wrote to Bud Light. “Our office is right down the road! We would love to discuss with you the many benefits of corn! Thanks [Miller Lite] and [Coors Lite] for supporting our industry.”
.@BudLight America’s corn farmers are disappointed in you. Our office is right down the road! We would love to discuss with you the many benefits of corn! Thanks @MillerLight and @CoorsLite for supporting our industry. //t.co/6fIWtRdeeM
— National Corn (NCGA) (@NationalCorn) February 4, 2019
The NCGA later retweeted a video of a farmer dumping a Bud Light can out into the sink, saying: “Bud Light, you’re not standing with corn farmers, we’re not standing with you.”
“We couldn’t say it better,” the NCGA added.
Bud Light did not respond to the NCGA on Twitter. Its parent company, Annheuser-Busch, did release a statement to the press.
“Anheuser-Busch fully supports corn growers and will continue to invest in the corn industry,” said a spokesman, according to Fox News. “Bud Light’s Super Bowl commercials are only meant to point out a key difference in Bud Light from some other light beers. This effort is to provide consumers transparency and elevate the beer category.”
The group’s outrage caused a lively debate on social media. Corn syrup is an inexpensive alternative to sugar that has been associated with obesity, diabetes and other ailments.
“I didn’t know I wanted an obesity industry vs. a beer industry fight but I’m here for it,” one person responded on Twitter.
Elsewhere, other beer manufacturers had a surprisingly heated response to the ad as well. MillerCoors LLC, which manufactures both Miller Lite and Coors Lite, posted an infographic showing that Bud Light has more calories and more grams of carbohydrates than Miller Lite does. Later on, the Miller Lite account sarcastically thanked Bud Light for the free advertising.
Hey Bud Light, thanks for including us in our first Super Bowl ad in over 20 years. You forgot two things though… we have more taste and half the carbs! #itsmillertime
— Miller Lite (@MillerLite) February 4, 2019
“Hey Bud Light, thanks for including us in our first Super Bowl ad in over 20 years,” it said. “You forgot two things though… We have more taste and half the carbs! #itsmillertime.”
MillerCoors executives also seemed disturbed by the ad. The company’s Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs, Adam Collins, posted a tweet of his own.
“The Bud Light ad says more about their market position than it does about any @MillerCoors products,” he wrote. “When was the last time ABI used their Super Bowl ad to attack a competing brand?”
The Bud Light ad says more about their market position than it does about any @MillerCoors products. When was the last time ABI used their Super Bowl ad to attack a competing brand? Miller Lite has been gaining share for 17 straight quarters & someone’s feeling the heat! 👇 //t.co/d17BhcBBXc
— Adam Collins (@AdamDCollins) February 4, 2019
Meanwhile, Chief Communications Officer Peter Marino pointed out that, with or without corn syrup, Bud Light is no health drink. He also claimed that the company still used high-fructose corn syrup in some products.
“Bud Light uses rice to aid fermentation. We use corn syrup. Interestingly, none of our products use High Fructose Corn Syrup, yet several of ABI’s do. Things that make you go hmmmmm,” he wrote.
