The Bud Knight Returns. Too Late to Save the Day for Bud Light?

Has Bud Light signaled a return to safe, comforting advertising following the Dylan Mulvaney controversy? This week, after more than two years of silence, the beloved Bud Knight returned to Twitter with an animated GIF captioned: “Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back.”

Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back pic.twitter.com/7BsxfCuwUp

— Bud Knight (@TheBudKnight) June 26, 2023

Sir Knight hasn’t been active on social media since Feb. 7, 2021 when he tweeted, “It was really fun while it lasted, guys.”

The fave appeared in Super Bowl ads in 2018 and 2019, and the latter served as a tie-in to the final season of Game of Thrones. (Our tin-plated hero didn’t fare so well in that one.)

Todd Allen, VP of marketing at Bud parent Anheuser-Busch says, “Since inception, the Bud Knight has shown up to remind fans that the best moments are made better when celebrated with a Bud Light. The Bud Knight is an iconic character, and he’s coming back to delight fans on social media, reinforcing our message that Bud Light is Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy this summer.”

Prior to the character’s return, Bud Light launched a big campaign, “Easy to Summer,” with a relaxed approached focused on warm weather, friends, family, food and cold drinks.

“For over 40 years, Bud Light has been delivering great quality beer for our 21+ consumers that’s easy to drink and easy to enjoy,” says Allen in press materials. “We celebrate time with family and friends, whether through sports, music or small moments together, because that is what easy enjoyment is about. That’s where I’m taking inspiration for our summer campaign. It’s incredibly clear the amount of love and passion people have for Bud Light, and we care deeply about our consumers. And what I’ve heard over the past few weeks is that people want us to get back to what we do best: being the beer of easy enjoyment. This new work is really about reaffirming the role that Bud Light plays for our drinkers: celebrating a summer of fun and entertainment through music, backyard grilling, football, and easy enjoyment.”

Anomaly created the new TV spot and The Martin Agency handled Bud Knight’s social reboot.