20 “woke” brands that right-wingers want to boycott

Wokeness

While adopting “wokeness” may not necessarily result in financial disaster for every company, it does carry the risk of facing severe backlash. Brands that actively engage in social issues or make bold social statements may encounter boycotts from certain consumer groups.

Brand values

While taking a principled stance aligning with their brand values can be important for some companies, misjudging the public sentiment can lead to heated and unpleasant situations, albeit temporarily.

MyPillow

MyPillow’s CEO, Mike Lindell, faced a significant setback when his deep involvement in politics led to a controversial decision. This decision went beyond political affiliations and involved making claims to discredit President Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. As a result, the company experienced a substantial loss of major advertising platforms and was dropped by numerous retailers.

Pink Parcel

In a separate instance, Pink Parcel, a period subscription service, launched an ad campaign in 2018 featuring a transgender man. While the intention of the campaign was to challenge stigma, there was criticism suggesting that the company should first address the existing stigma surrounding periods for cisgender women before delving into other social issues.

Pepsi

Pepsi and Kendall Jenner’s 2017 short film faced swift criticism for attempting to address deep-seated racial tensions by depicting Kendall Jenner offering a can of Pepsi to a police officer.

Backlash

The backlash highlighted the importance of marketers seeking diverse perspectives, especially when engaging with social justice issues, which may not align with the expectations of a typical Pepsi consumer.

Victoria’s Secret

Victoria’s Secret faced backlash a decade ago for a campaign promoting a new bra line with the tagline “The Perfect Body,” featuring only tall and skinny Victoria’s Secret angels in heavily edited images.

Diversity

The lack of body diversity in the campaign sparked criticism for promoting unhealthy body standards, leading the company to issue an apology for the harmful message it conveyed.

Bud Light

Bud Light, once a popular beer in the United States, encountered a significant backlash in April when working with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Collaborations

Unlike Mulvaney’s previous collaborations with other brands, Bud Light faced intense criticism, attributed to the mismatch between the beer company’s primary customer base of young men with low to moderate incomes and the influencer’s representation. This incident highlighted the importance of aligning brand partnerships with the expectations and values of the target consumer demographic.

Rebranding

Victoria’s Secret underwent a surprising rebranding in 2018 by featuring a plus-sized transgender woman in an advertisement, signaling a shift towards a more socially conscious image.

Controversial

This change followed controversial comments by then-chief marketing officer Ed Razek regarding transgender and plus-size models. However, the company’s pivot towards a feminist perspective faced criticism as it contradicted its traditional image of promoting the Fantasy Bra as a symbol of empowerment.

Equinox

Equinox and SoulCycle, backed by billionaire Stephen Ross, faced backlash in late 2019 for their association with a fundraiser for Donald Trump. Despite SoulCycle’s defense that Ross was a passive investor and they did not endorse political fundraising, the alignment of these fitness brands with the LGBTQ community intensified the criticism.

Starbucks

Starbucks’ “Race Together” campaign aimed to spark national discussions on race relations by encouraging baristas to write the slogan on customers’ cups. However, the initiative failed to resonate as customers expected Starbucks to address its diversity issues internally before initiating such conversations with patrons.

Paramount Studios

Paramount Studios faced backlash for casting Scarlett Johansson as a Japanese character in the movie “Ghost in the Shell,” leading to accusations of whitewashing, boycotts, and discussions about Hollywood’s lack of diversity in casting decisions.

Snapchat

In 2018, Snapchat posed a controversial question to its users: whether to “slap Rihanna or punch Chris Brown,” referencing the former couple’s history of domestic violence allegations. The insensitivity of this poll sparked outrage due to the serious nature of the past accusations against Chris Brown.

SpaghettiOs

On the 72nd anniversary of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, SpaghettiOs faced criticism for a tweet featuring its mascot holding an American flag, urging people to remember #PearlHarbor with them. The post, viewed as inappropriate and confusing, led to an apology from the company.

Gillette

Gillette, known for promoting traditional masculinity, faced backlash in 2019 for an ad attempting to align with the #MeToo movement. Social media criticism suggested that the ad portrayed all men as engaging in stereotypical activities like fighting, barbecuing, and harassing women.

Nike

Nike’s decision to partner with trans influencers for promoting Nike bras and leggings received mixed reactions. Some questioned why the campaign didn’t feature a biological woman, drawing queries from figures like swimmer Sharron Davies and tennis legend Martina Navratilova. Despite the controversy, the backlash was less severe compared to Bud Light’s incident.

Honey Birdette

Australian lingerie company Honey Birdette faced significant backlash for featuring a non-binary burlesque performer and model, Jake Dupree, in its 2023 campaign. While the campaign aimed to promote inclusivity and push cultural boundaries, the decision sparked criticism, especially considering that Honey Birdette’s primary customer base is women.

McDonald’s

McDonald’s decision to change its iconic “M” logo to a “W” in support of women on International Women’s Day 2018 raised questions about the company’s commitment to female empowerment. Many critics argued that McDonald’s should focus on improving the working conditions of its female employees rather than making symbolic gestures like altering a letter for a day.

North Face

The North Face’s playful advertisement featuring drag queen Pattie Gonia for a Summer of Pride campaign faced backlash instead of support. While the ad avoided mainstream attention, it drew criticism from individuals like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who condemned the company for exploiting children and urged her followers not to support such brands.

Hyundai

Hyundai faced public outrage in 2013 for an ad promoting its new hydrogen-powered ix35 vehicle with 100% water emissions. The controversial ad, depicting a man attempting suicide but failing, overshadowed Hyundai’s green initiative and was deemed a complete failure due to its insensitive content.

Adidas

Adidas’ 2023 Pride collection sparked debate as critics accused the brand of erasing women by featuring male-presenting models in female clothing. The collaboration with South African designer Rich Mnisi, known for his queer aesthetic, led to controversy over the portrayal of gender in the campaign, with some questioning why the collection wasn’t labeled as unisex.

Jack Daniels

Jack Daniel’s faced boycott calls in 2021 for an ad featuring a drag queen from RuPaul’s Drag Race. The backlash, notably from a passionate fan named Pauly Michaelis, included videos of destroying Jack Daniel’s merchandise and setting whiskey on fire in protest against the brand’s perceived “woke” moment.

Target

Target faced significant backlash for its 2023 Pride collection, with false information contributing to the controversy. The store claimed to sell bathing suits labeled as “tuck-friendly” for kids, but in reality, these were intended for adults only. This misinformation led to a substantial loss of $10 billion for the company within just 10 days.

Twitter

In 2014, Twitter, now a prominent platform for discussions, hosted conversations about domestic abuse under the #WhyIStayed hashtag. DiGiorno’s tweet during this time, which read, “#WhyIStayed You had pizza,” missed the mark and failed to grasp the seriousness of the trending hashtag. Despite attempts to apologize, the insensitivity of the tweet left many people upset and further fueled the backlash.