Bud Light returns to 'fratty' humor with 'grunts' commercial, but the star of the ad can't touch or drink the beer

Bud Light released a new commercial for July Fourth that featured a return to "fratty" humor, starring NFL player Travis Kelce in a backyard grunting ad.

So-called frat-boy humor was condemned by Bud Light's VP of marketing Alissa Heinerscheid, who infamously doubled down on her condemnation of the beer brand's culture at the start of the company's Dylvan Mulvaney marketing implosion.

"Bud Light had been kind of a brand of fratty, kind of out-of-touch humor, and it was really important that we had another approach," she proclaimed. "What does evolve and elevate mean? It means inclusivity," she added.

Amid declining sales, Bud Light turned to Kelce for "Backyard Grunts," an ad with no dialogue, simply men making noises. The ad shows the NFL tight end sitting down on a lawn chair and grunting in relief, followed by other men relaxing and making similar grunting sounds as they open Bud Lights.

As viewers pointed out, however, Kelce does not hold or drink the product anywhere in the ad.

"It’s hilarious how Travis didn’t even touch or drink their product, yet they still paid him," the top-voted YouTube comment read.

Kelce, like other NFL players, is forbidden to promote alcoholic beverages per the NFL Players Association partnership and endorsement rules.

Restrictions include "companies that promote alcoholic beverages when the target audience of the event, program or facility is under the legal drinking age."

While the wording is murky, it is well-known that NFL players cannot engage in direct alcohol sales, which is why Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes appeared in a Coors Light commercial to promote a flashlight, not beer.

With Kelce not touching or sipping the beer, the ad choice is certainly a peculiar one for a company battling declining sales, which have plummeted by 28% as of June 24, 2023, according to the New York Post.

The commercial has also faced massive ridicule in its comment sections, while the brand has endured consistent criticism from celebrities.

At the same time the commercial began to air, comedian Joe Rogan blasted the beer giant's choice to do endorsements with transgender actor Mulvaney, calling Mulvaney "mentally ill" and an "attention whore."

Bud Light was recently replaced as the nation's top-selling beer by rival brand and UFC sponsor Modelo.