A Super Bowl ad from Budweiser that shares the immigrant story of founder Adolphus Busch has prompted calls for a boycott from those who see the ad as overtly political.
The ad — which shows Busch’s struggle as an immigrant in the U.S., where he is told he is “not wanted here” — debuted online Tuesday, just days after President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries as well as Syrian refugees indefinitely. Some saw the ad as an attack on Trump’s policies, though Anheuser-Busch InBev said it was in the words before the executive order was announced.
Although Budweiser said the ad had been in the works and was meant to “highlight the ambition of our founder, Adolphus Busch, and his unrelenting pursuit of the American dream,” several Trump supporters questioned the timing, and perceived it as being against the President’s immigration stance.
Dumb marketing move. Illegals and muslims don't drink beer. EBT cards aren't accepted at liquor stores.. #boycottbudweiser#Hannity#DACA
— Transformation… (@JoJoSmiths) February 1, 2017
https://twitter.com/USAlivestrong/status/826617055772241922
https://twitter.com/mile_high_33/status/826556726602252288
The ad reveals how Busch overcame the anti-German immigrant hostility to create Budweiser.