Fresh for the Bud Light furore, cosmetics brand Maybelline is now facing calls for a boycott after a sponsorship with the transgender social-media influencer Dylan Mulvaney who posted a short video last month of herself applying the brand’s cosmetics and “getting glam”.
Twenty-seven-year-old Mulvaney, of course, fronted a Bud Light campaign a fortnight ago that saw the brand boycotted by loyal drinkers and, in the latest round of fallouts, has seen two of the chief instigators on Bud’s marketing team sent on indefinite leave.
Mulvaney’s video for Maybelline runs a mere 13 seconds and appeared on her own Instagram account.
View this post on Instagram
On Twitter over the weekend, several notable right-wing figures, including the psychologist Jordan Peterson, called for customers to boycott the cosmetic company.
Mulvaney’s social media account was subsequently bombarded with derogatory and transphobic comments.
“The latests fools to employ Dylan Mulvaney is make-up company,” one Twitter user wrote. “Get woke, go broke.”
Another added: “Now that your makeup appears to be for men @Maybelline, I guess you don’t need female customers anymore. Thanks for letting us know.”
However, Mulvaney and Maybelline did find some supporters, too.
“This is the entire reason they’re having a meltdown. Because Maybelline dared to sponsor a trans woman Dylan Mulvaney, for this 13 seconds video,” one Twitter user said.
Another added: “All these right-wing men talking bout how they’re about to boycott Maybelline, as if they use them.”
Maybelline has not publicly commented on the backlash. Nor is it the first time Maybelline’s parent L’Oreal has worked with a transgender women. In 2017 it did an ad campaign featuring model Hari Nef (Nef is bottom left below):
Meanwhile, in more fallout over at Bud Light, two senior Anheuser-Busch marketers have been put on indefinite leave following the fallout from the Mulvaney stunt.
According to media reports, Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s vice president of marketing, and Daniel Blake, Anheuser-Busch’s vice president who oversees market for mainstream brands, have both been put on indefinite leave.
Heinerscheid was a vocal public supporter of using Mulvaney, saying Bud Light had become too “fratty” and used “tired humour” and if it didn’t attract younger, female drinkers there’d “be no future for Bud Light”.
Last week, the brand rushed out a new campaign featuring Bud’s traditional Clydesdale horses and a stack of flag waving Americana. Watch it below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTMZKlkXP_k
