Bud Light’s parent company is now taking aim at a conservative-owned beer brand that emerged during the Dylan Mulvaney controversy. Why? Because they used the word… “ultra.” Yeah, really.
At a glance:
- Anheuser-Busch is suing Conservative Dad’s Ultra Right Beer over trademark infringement claims regarding the word “Ultra”
- Seth Weathers founded Ultra Right Beer as a conservative alternative following Bud Light’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney
- Anheuser-Busch claims the name could be “confusing” with their Michelob Ultra brand
- The Bud Light boycott cost Anheuser-Busch over $1 billion in lost sales
- Weathers believes the lawsuit is intended to financially drain his company rather than win on legal merits
David vs. Goliath Showdown Brewing
Beer giant Anheuser-Busch has initiated legal action against Conservative Dad’s Ultra Right Beer, claiming trademark infringement over the use of the word “Ultra” in its name. The lawsuit follows Anheuser-Busch’s disastrous partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney that triggered a nationwide conservative boycott, costing the company over $1 billion in lost sales.
Seth Weathers, founder of Conservative Dad’s Ultra Right Beer, launched his company as a direct response to Bud Light’s embrace of what many conservatives viewed as woke ideology. His beer brand quickly gained popularity among right-leaning consumers looking for alternatives to companies that had alienated their traditional customer base. And that’s presumably why he’s getting sued now…
Anheuser-Busch’s lawsuit claims potential confusion between Ultra Right Beer and their established Michelob Ultra brand. But absolutely nobody has ever confused these two beers, have they? Let’s be honest here.
Questionable Motivations Behind Lawsuit
Specifically, the beer giant alleges that consumers might mistake Ultra Right Beer for one of their products, despite the dramatically different branding, messaging, and target audience.
Sara Gonzales of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered” challenged this claim during an interview with Weathers, stating, “I’m having a little bit of trouble understanding. What could be confusing about your beer? It’s called ‘Ultra Right’.”
Weathers maintains that Anheuser-Busch deliberately waited until the last possible moment to file their lawsuit, stretching out the legal process and potentially draining his company’s financial resources.
“Who the hell wants to give your money to go drink beer that tastes like piss, if we can just be honest, and at the same time, you know you’re giving it to a company who hates you and instead wants to embrace someone like Dylan Mulvaney,” Gonzalez also said.
Good point…
Conservative Backlash Continues
The legal dispute represents the latest chapter in the ongoing culture war between conservative consumers and corporations perceived as embracing progressive values. Conservative Dad’s Ultra Right Beer positions itself as an alternative for patriots who feel abandoned by mainstream beer companies that have aligned with liberal causes – and there are lot of those.
Anheuser-Busch has struggled to recover from the Mulvaney controversy, with sales remaining depressed long after their ill-fated marketing campaign – even after President Donald Trump told conservatives it was time to forgive them. And now, some industry analysts have warned that the company’s aggressive legal action against Ultra Right Beer may further alienate conservative consumers who see this as another attack on their values.
Could this be one truly terrible idea from a company trying to win back right-wingers?
