Sydney Sweeney can raise a glass to several weeks of bumper publicity – but she may soon be toasting with beer rather than champagne amid speculation that she could become the new face of Bud Light.
Industry experts believe Sweeney could turn the woke furor over her recent American Eagle jeans campaign to her favor by capitalizing on her popularity among conservative Americans – and earn a whopping sum in the process.
It’s thought that the Anyone But You star could command a fee of as much as $10 million from Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch if it wanted to sign her up for a full-scale endorsement deal.
The struggling beer firm is still looking to recover from an ad deal with the trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney that backfired spectacularly. The move cost the brand $1.4 billion in US sales and led to a 15.3 percent drop in revenue.
Christopher Chatham, an expert in negotiating celebrity endorsement deals at the consultancy Manatt, told the Daily Mail that Sweeney is a ‘compelling candidate’ to resuscitate Bud’s sales.
‘Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign delivered undeniable commercial impact – denim sales surged and the brand’s stock climbed,’ he said.
‘That kind of performance makes her a compelling candidate for Bud Light, especially as the brand considers options in responding to past criticism.
‘Beer brands pay for reach, resilience, and relevance – and Sweeney delivers all three, so it would not be surprising if a Bud Light endorsement deal were to approach or potentially reach the seven-figure range.’
Bud Light’s campaign with Mulvaney featured the influencer dressed as Breakfast at Tiffany’s character Holly Golightly while celebrating ‘day 365 of womanhood.’
The ad, posted on Instagram, prompted a national boycott and a steep decline in Bud Light’s market position.
Although Anheuser-Busch executives have attempted to stabilize the brand through partnerships with celebrities like Peyton Manning, Emmitt Smith, and Post Malone, Bud Light regained only 1.2 percentage points of its lost market share from May 2023 to February 2024.
After the backlash the company’s CEO Michel Doukeris said the beer brand was making slow progress in recovering its customer base.
‘It’s not at the fast pace that we were expecting or that we’ve been working for,’ he said, ‘but nevertheless, progress is in place.’
Fox News contributor Jimmy Failla was the first to propose that Sweeney could sweep to Bud’s rescue in a comment article on Tuesday Op-Ed.
‘Hire Sydney Sweeney to be your next pitchperson immediately because she’s everything your brand needs to get back on its feet,’ Failla wrote.
Sweeney’s campaign for American Eagle, which used the tagline ‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,’ coincided with a 23 percent increase in the clothing brand’s stock.
However the ad also drew criticism from some commentators who accused it of using racially coded language.
Critics claimed the pun on ‘great genes’ referenced Sweeney’s ancestry and suggested eugenics-related themes.
The ordeal even garnered the attention of President Donald Trump who rushed to Sweeney’s defense against the ‘woke’ mafia coming for her after learning that she has been a registered Republican since last June.
‘Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the “HOTTEST” ad out there. It’s for American Eagle, and the jeans are “flying off the shelves.” Go get ‘em Sydney!’ the president said.
American Eagle has since denied the allegations, stating on social media: ‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story.’
Sweeney, 27, also defended the campaign, stating in a press release that the brand makes her feel ‘confident and comfortable in [her] own skin.’
The acrtress’s potential role in a deal reviving Bud Light comes hot on the heels of another high-profile PR turnaround.
Tech company Astronomer experienced a swift image recovery after facing backlash from a viral video showing its CEO, Andy Byron, and Head of People, Kristin Cabot, in an intimate moment during a Coldplay concert’s ‘kiss cam’ segment.
The clip quickly spread online, prompting Byron’s resignation, followed shortly by Cabot’s.
According to Chatham, the company avoided further reputational fallout thanks to what he called a ‘masterclass in reputational recovery’ delivered by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin’s ex-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow.
‘The Gwyneth Paltrow and Astronomer campaign was a masterclass in reputational recovery – clever, unexpected, and culturally resonant. It reframed the narrative with wit and precision. Brands facing backlash will undoubtedly look to emulate that kind of strategic repositioning,’ Chatham said.
If a deal with Bud Light ever actually comes to fruition, it could be a major boost for Anheuser-Busch.
For now, no deal has been officially announced.
Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Sweeney and Bud Light for further comment.
Another ad featuring the Emmy-nominated actress has resurfaced in recent days.
During a Friday segment on Fox News’ Outnumbered, the hosts revisited a June Baskin-Robbins campaign starring the 27-year-old, in which she expresses enthusiasm for the brand’s ice cream products.
The segment featured multiple panelists, including former President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who suggested that ‘liberals are melting down’ over the commercial, The Independent reported.
‘One online critic said this is a big fail because “ice cream tanks your testosterone, spikes your risk of diabetes, and wrecks your metabolism.” I bet our HHS Secretary would agree with that,’ Trump said, quoting a post from a self-described ‘canceled scientist’ who also claimed conservatives shouldn’t celebrate the ad.
Trump went on to read another post that stated, ‘This ad is gonna melt liberal minds, and now they want to eat ice cream.’
However, neither post cited during the segment appeared to originate from a verified left-leaning voice or prominent liberal commentator.
Despite this, Trump insisted the backlash was real.
‘Liberals are already melting down about this,’ she said. ‘But to Emily’s point, [Sweeney]’s cute, she’s funny, you’ve gotta embrace this stuff! Are they really going to start melting down on the left over ice cream?’
