Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz has sparked controversy after wading into a debate about Miller Lite’s recent advertisement campaign.
The brewing company recently announced its latest one–minute–and–30–second advertisement with comedian Ilana Glazer, which was created for Women’s History Month in March. The ad was designed to turn old marketing materials – including models in bikinis clutching the products – into compost, which could then be used to make fertilizer.
However, Gaetz took issue with the company’s decision to “renounce” their infamous ads. On Chris Plante’s The Right Squad, he said: “I don’t think it’s crazy to say that good looking women in bikinis sell beer. Like, nobody wants to buy beer from Lizzo.”
Rep. @MattGaetz: “Nobody wants to buy beer from Lizzo” pic.twitter.com/Zg8vgb7xHZ
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) May 17, 2023
The Republican’s comments were quickly rebuked by Democratic political analyst Jason Nichols, who said: “I think Lizzo is attractive, but either way – I’m not buying beer based on somebody in a bikini anyway. I’m buying beer based on whether it’s a good beer. You have never bought a beer based on how a person looks in an ad.”
Gaetz responded: “I wish that were true.”
His comments come after Bud Light’s disastrous campaign with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, which saw the company’s valuation take a hit. Gaetz suggested that Miller Lite was going down the “same path” as Bud Light.
Molson Coors, the owners of Miller Lite, have responded to the controversy by defending their ad campaign. They said that the ad was designed to “celebrate the empowerment of women,” and that it was meant to show how the company is “committed to doing things differently.”
The ad has been met with both criticism and praise since its release. While some have praised the company for its attempt to “celebrate the empowerment of women,” others have argued that it is “insulting” to suggest that women can only be empowered through bikini ads.
Miller Lite said to Bud Light, “hold my beer,” and decided to create a new ad campaign straight out of early 2010s “I hate all men” feminism to sell a drink to customers they hate. pic.twitter.com/9gTnP9rNik
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 15, 2023
It remains to be seen what the long–term impacts of the ad campaign will be. In the meantime, Gaetz’s comments have sparked a debate about how companies should be using women in their advertising.
