Without saying much, Troy Aikman said a lot.
Aikman didn’t directly reference Bud Light, but he didn’t need to. By promoting his beer company, ‘Eight Elite Light Lager,’ Aikman seemingly made his stance known on the controversy that has embattled Anheuser-Busch and its relationship with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney with four words: “No agenda. No distractions.”
It’s a bold step to take for an employee of ESPN.
“Everybody’s talking about beer companies these days, but nobody’s talking about beer,” Aikman said in an ad for his company that was featured on his Twitter page. “I started EIGHT with the goal of creating a company dedicated to making really great light beer. No agenda. No distractions. Just great ******* beer.”
If it wasn’t clear, maybe the text from the tweet will shine more light on where this is headed:
“AUTHENTICITY MATTERS. Lately there’s been a lot of talk about beer companies and not nearly enough conversation about what really matters – the beer itself. Some brands are taking shortcuts to gain consumers. We’re committed to producing a first-class product. No hidden agenda. No distractions. Come join Team EIGHT.”
AUTHENTICITY MATTERS. Lately there's been a lot of talk about beer companies and not nearly enough conversation about what really matters – the beer itself. Some brands are taking shortcuts to gain consumers. We're committed to producing a first-class product. No hidden agenda.… pic.twitter.com/uQkzphUxJF
— Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) May 23, 2023
It was last month that Mulvaney posted an ad for Bud Light on Instagram to promote a contest for Bud Light. The popular beer brand partnered with the TikTok star and social media influencer, who has 10.8 million followers on TikTok and 1.8 million on Instagram. Mulvaney showed off some commemorative cans that featured her face and celebrated her “365 Days of Girlhood” series.
That post has since sparked an increasing amount of outrage and it doesn’t seem like a coincidence that Aikman’s ad appears to indirectly reference it with mentions of a “hidden agenda” or “taking shortcuts to gain consumers.”
Whatever the end main goal is for Aikman and his company, it’s an interesting stance for an ESPN employee to take in this current climate.
[CBS]
