Last week, YETI, the premium outdoor gear company known for its rugged coolers and drinkware, canceled a custom mug order from our organization, the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women. The reason? Our name includes the words “conservative women,” which YETI deems too “political” to print.
Within hours, the decision ignited national outrage. High-profile conservatives, including Glenn Beck, Liz Wheeler, Chris Plante, and Dana Loesch, sounded off, and major outlets, including Newsweek, the New York Post, and Fox News, covered the story. Why did it hit such a nerve? Because YETI just had its Bud Light moment — a self-inflicted brand crisis that reveals a stunning disconnect from its core customers.
Here’s what happened: We’re a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group dedicated to empowering young women to become strong, conservative leaders through internships, student summits, campus lectures, firearms training, and other programs. Last year, YETI fulfilled our order for seafoam green mugs with our name and logo with no problem. This year, we placed the exact same order. YETI confirmed it, took our payment, and then abruptly canceled our order, citing a policy against “political” customization. But by law, as a 501(c)(3), we are not a political entity.
The hypocrisy stinks worse than a week-old fish in a YETI cooler.
YETI’s appeal to neutrality falls apart the moment you examine its “Partnership Program,” which features The Venture Out Project, an LGBT organization that leads hiking trips and overnight outings for “queer and transgender youth.” By spotlighting this group as a partner, YETI isn’t just selling gear. It’s promoting a left-wing social agenda aimed at young people. Combine that with its proudly advertised diversity, equity, and inclusion and environmental and social governance initiatives, and the message is unmistakable: YETI isn’t staying out of cultural debates. It’s taking sides — against the very customers who helped build its brand.
Sound familiar? It’s Bud Light all over again. In 2023, Bud Light tanked its brand by partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, alienating its core conservative base. Sales plunged as much as 30%. It was a textbook case of corporate virtue-signaling gone wrong.
YETI’s customers, including hunters, fishers, and campers, overwhelmingly lean conservative. They’re drawn to the brand’s rugged, no-nonsense, all-American image. These are people who value faith, family, and freedom — the very principles that built our country. To them, and to us, being conservative isn’t “political.” It’s patriotic.
That’s why conservatives are justifiably outraged. Our organization exists to help young women embrace traditional American values and become leaders — strengthening their families, communities, and country. Yet YETI, while partnering with left-wing causes, refuses to print our name on a mug.
This isn’t about mugs. It’s about respect — and the alienation of loyal customers. YETI’s stock is already down 14% from last year. Does it really want to test how much more its bottom line can take? Bud Light’s collapse cost it the top spot in the beer market. YETI is risking the same fate among outdoor enthusiasts who don’t appreciate being sidelined for their values.
WHY THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CAN’T GOVERN
We’re not asking YETI for an endorsement — just equal treatment. It could’ve quietly honored a repeat customer and focused on what it does best: making great products. Instead, it has handed conservatives a rallying cry — and a reason to shop elsewhere.
This is YETI’s Bud Light moment. One canceled order won’t stop conservatives from standing up for their values, but it might stop them from ever buying YETI again.
Kimberly Begg is president of the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women.