This yearβs Super Bowl ads largely ducked controversy β with perhaps one unexpected exception.
A series of Bud Light ads slammed rival brewers for using corn syrup:
To be clear, Bud Light is not brewed with corn syrup, and Miller Lite and Coors Light are. pic.twitter.com/x6tWqdSRXN
— Bud Light (@budlight) February 3, 2019
MillerCoors spokesman Pete Marino fired off a tweet defending the brews, and noted that Bud Lightβs parent company uses high-fructose corn syrup in some of its other 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 ABIβs do. Things that make you go hmmmmm https://t.co/Y2Na2mbErZ
— pjmarino2 (@pjmarino2) February 4, 2019
The National Corn Growers Association, an industry group financed by corn growers, was downright offended:
.@BudLight Americaβs 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. https://t.co/6fIWtRdeeM
— National Corn (NCGA) (@NationalCorn) February 4, 2019
Bud Lightβs parent company quickly tried to make amends.
βAnheuser-Busch fully supports corn growers and will continue to invest in the corn industry,β a spokesman told the Wall Street Journal. βBud Lightβs 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.β
But observers on Twitter had a much different β and often far funnier β reaction to the kerfuffle:
W E W O U L D L O V E T O D I S C U S S W I T H Y O U T H E M A N Y B E N E F I T S O F C O R N https://t.co/kNmq8h2awI
— Kelsey D. Atherton (@AthertonKD) February 4, 2019
I wasnβt expecting a response so quickly; I guess corn farmers always have an ear to the ground.
— Biggest Taco. (@BiggestTaco) February 4, 2019
Maybe they were stalk -ing @budlight
— Redistributing Opportunity is Democratic (@WordCatcher) February 4, 2019
π£ Hello! Would you like to change religions? I have a free book written ABOUT CORN! https://t.co/M4KETW8kha
— Christina Gregg (@christina_gregg) February 4, 2019
βWe would love to discuss with you the many benefits of cornβ is the last thing you hear before you die https://t.co/jguv0MrdQ4
— Dad (@fivefifths) February 4, 2019
Thanks @budlight for alienating about 90% of your agricultural customers who formerly bought Bud Light. I will be buying all Coors Light and Miller Lite from now on. #WeGrowCorn
— Dan Lienemann (@zapman62) February 4, 2019
Absolutely the best drama of this night my god give me more on corn vs. beer https://t.co/VpTTjUomkM
— Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri) February 4, 2019
who are the light beer drinkers who care deeply about the presence or absence of corn syrup in their light beers
— maya kosoff (@mekosoff) February 4, 2019
Three terrible beers arguing whether they use a terrible sweetener.
— Jim Stogdill π (@jstogdill) February 4, 2019
Iβd like to see the Venn diagram of Bud Light consumers and people who care about corn syrup
— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) February 4, 2019
We WOuLD lOVe tO DIscUsS WitH YOu tHe MAny BenEFIts Of cORn! pic.twitter.com/u2UoXExLlV
— Don Macfarlane (@RevmodDon) February 4, 2019
This tweet is creepier than children of the candy corn
— Dan Nguyen (@dancow) February 4, 2019
"He Who Walks Behind the Rows wants you too, Bud light! He wants you too!" https://t.co/Fnxln0WASE
— Danuary (@YoDannyGuts) February 4, 2019
Extremely here for the upcoming war between Budweiser and Big Corn https://t.co/ksLkvMpYZn
— Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) February 4, 2019
Best thing about this game is Bud Light deciding to just go savage on corn
— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) February 4, 2019
Yea the Patriots may have won but do they know that Bud Light isn't made with corn syrup
— jacksfilms (@jacksfilms) February 4, 2019
Tonight we will all have awkward dreams involving corn syrup
— Roland Scahill (@rolandscahill) February 4, 2019
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