It is 2024, and many brands have publicly supported social justice issues. Some consumers have supported these brands for that, but others have criticized them for becoming “woke.”

These so-called woke brands have become so dedicated to the woke ideal that they have occasionally fallen in popularity because of it.

First up is Disney. Recently, Disney has been the target of conservative-leaning people who believe the company is trying to propagate a woke agenda. For various reasons, that criticism has only fueled more backlash against Disney by these detractors.

One of them is Disney’s ongoing quest to create more diverse films, which has caused many to start avoiding all Disney movies, shows, and products. The backlash is great enough to have Disney worried about their popularity.

Like Disney, Netflix has also been accused of catering to the alleged woke public. Some critics believe that Netflix is attempting to push a woke agenda on its subscribers by eliminating shows like “The Office” to be replaced with more progressive shows, such as feminist or LGBTQ+ shows. Recently, Netflix seems to have reversed this programming strategy, a move former critics have applauded.

PepsiCo triggered outrage from both sides of the aisle when it ran an ad featuring Kendall Jenner. It sees Jenner at a rally when she walks over to where the police are standing and hands one officer a can of Pepsi.

Conservatives bashed Pepsi, claiming they were trying to be woke, while the more liberal-leaning Americans bashed them for belittling protest movements, such as Black Lives Matter.

Bud Light is one of the most recent brands to get backlash in their quest to become woke. For Pride Month, the beer company joined hands with TikTok trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

It triggered a swift backlash from conservative groups, with many politicians and celebrities publicly calling Bud Light out. Eventually, this led to a boycott of all Bud Light products. The once-popular beer has not recovered from the damage in the U.S.

The company is no stranger to backlash, but one of Starbucks’ biggest battles came when it announced it was switching to paper straws. Many people criticized the company, with some saying they were virtue signaling. Even liberal customers who want to stop climate change did not want the straws, as paper straws don’t hold up very well in use.

In 2021, one of Coca-Cola’s seminars leaked. In this seminar, the staff was asked to “be less white,” and what followed was one of the biggest backlash the company has experienced up till now.

Critics were saying the drink beverage company was being blatantly racist and discriminatory against white people. Coca-Cola only created neutral marketing and advertising, but this event resulted in a massive fallout with some customers.

For years, Oreo has faced ongoing criticism due to its continued support of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, one million mothers threatened to boycott Oreo over its ad campaigns for the LGBTQ+ community, and now, in 2024, the backlash continues. However, Oreo does not seem worried and has revealed no plans to dissolve its ties with the community,

In 2020, Mars revealed plans to change its brand name from Uncle Ben’s to Ben’s Original. This change came after the food giant was called out by social justice organizations that claimed this name was a racial stereotype.

It forced Mars to change the name, but right after they did, criticism came from the opposite end of the political spectrum. Critics stated that Mars was pandering to the woke mob and shouldn’t have changed a decades-old brand name.

To wade into social issues, Gillette launched an ad campaign called “The Best Men Can Be.” The ad challenged many things, from toxic masculinity to bullying, but while it touched some social topics, it also created a huge storm online. Many men claimed they felt insulted by the ad, while others said Gillette was pushing an anti-male agenda.

In 2023, Nike partnered up with TikTok trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. As with Bud Light, backlash quickly followed, with many calling for a boycott of the company for going woke. Some rose to the brand’s defense, but the support barely helped, as it appears that sales have been sluggish.

The chain triggered a backlash in 2023 when they revealed their LGBTQ+ collection. They eventually removed some of the products to try to protect their employees after getting harassed by some queer groups. The move only led to backlash from more liberal-minded shoppers who didn’t think they should’ve pulled the collection off the store floors. Target would later admit that the backlash hurt their overall sales.