A turning tide: woke is OUT, patriotism is IN
Opinion-editorial by Summer Lane | August 7, 2025
In 2023, beer titan Bud Light took a shot at politically correct marketing when it collaborated with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, ultimately sparking what may be one of the most infamous backlashes of all time.
The public reaction to Mulvaney’s caricature-like personality – and the societal signal it sent in terms of LGBTQ inclusivity – was a marked turnoff for beer-drinking American men. Who could forget when Kid Rock literally shot up cases of Bud Light while wearing a white MAGA hat in response?
Bud Light’s sales declined by roughly 28 percent during this period of corporate turmoil, and the company didn’t necessarily bounce back, according to the Harvard Business Review. “What started as a consumer-led boycott generated downstream adjustments from retailers and distributors. These supply-side adjustments hurt the brand’s visibility and further exacerbated the negative impact on Bud Light’s performance,” the article noted.
Unfortunately, Bud Light is not the only company that miscalculated how mainstream Americans might react to progressive undertones (or overtones) in advertising campaigns for iconic brands.
Target suffered ongoing blowback for years amid its decision to prominently display “pride” clothing and products in its stores every June, even going so far as to sell chest binders and “tuck-friendly” swimsuits for transgender individuals.
Quarterly sales for the company declined for the first time in years, according to CNN, and it’s really no mystery as to why.
Alas, corporate behemoths forged ahead, focusing on politics over products.
Jaguar tried their hand at using crossdressing men and androgynous actors to sell their vehicles just a handful of months ago. Beauty company Ulta has used men to showcase female makeup, most recently by utilizing “non-binary” Jonathan Van Ness to promote a haircare line. The Walt Disney Company, once the penultimate giant of filmmaking and storytelling, has bled billions over politically correct messages embedded into films like “Lightyear” (parents shied away from bringing their children to watch a same-sex kiss scene) and useless, sterilized remakes of classic films like “Snow White.”
Last year, Americans essentially rejected every measure of this cultural collapse by electing President Donald Trump in November, and society has undergone a seismic shift. Being “woke” is no longer in style – being patriotic is in.
Sydney Sweeney and America First
On the heels of a viral denim ad for American Eagle, actress Sydney Sweeney was accused of racism by radical leftists who apparently took issue with a pretty white woman modeling jeans. “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” the tagline for the campaign read.
Despite liberal protestations and gnashing of teeth, American Eagle stock has soared, and jeans have been selling like hotcakes.
“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!” wrote President Donald Trump in a statement this week.
Trump slammed wokeism in advertising, taking aim at Jaguar, pointing out that more companies should have learned their lesson from disastrous left-wing messaging.
“Shouldn’t they have learned a lesson from Bud Lite, which went Woke and essentially destroyed, in a short campaign, the Company. The market cap destruction has been unprecedented, with BILLIONS OF DOLLARS SO FOOLISHLY LOST,” he added.
It seems as if most companies have learned a thing or two. This year, Target skipped the “pride” displays in favor of red, white, and blue USA-themed fashion for the entire family. Core American auto manufacturing companies like Jeep and Chrysler have also come together to celebrate America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, launching an ad titled “America Made Us.”
During this year’s Super Bowl, ads trended in an overtly patriotic direction. A nice touch was Brad Pitt’s well-executed and unifying commercial about what it means to be an American.
It is clear that the winds have shifted. Progressivism doesn’t sell. It never did, and it never will. But with the Biden administration at the helm, cultural common sense was being attacked from all sides by corporate giants that sacrificed profits for the sake of fanatically pushing an agenda.
President Trump has been in office for just 200 days, but the tidal shift in politics, culture, and society has been earth-shaking. It highlights the importance of electing good leaders who advocate for good things, and it’s a reminder of just how quickly things can begin to rot without an educated and engaged voting populace.
“The tide has seriously turned — Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be,” Trump said in his Thursday statement.
He’s right. The tide has indeed turned, and if American companies are smart, they will continue to embrace savvy advertising, wholesome content, and family-friendly campaigns that will tap into what people really want: common sense and decency.
Photo: Adobe Stock
