YETI Faces Backlash From Conservative Group Over Canceled Mug Order

YETI is facing backlash from a conservative women’s group after it canceled an order of mugs featuring their logo.

Newsweek reached out to YETI and the conservative group via email for comments.

Why It Matters

Businesses have found themselves involved in culture wars in the past few years amid debates about how companies should approach political and social issues. Many businesses have sought to stay out of political conversations, but the situation illustrates how it can be difficult to steer completely clear of politics.

Businesses have faced boycott calls from both sides of the aisle in recent years. Target is facing criticism from the left over their reversal of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, while Bud Light has faced large boycotts in recent years for supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

What to Know

The Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women shared in a series of posts to X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) that they were “cancelled” by YETI, the business that produces coolers and drinkware such as mugs and tumblers.

The organization wrote that they had previously ordered mugs with their logo and name on it in the past and had no issue, but when they decided to order a restock, the order was canceled due to the political nature of the product.

“We ordered the EXACT same product from Yeti last year with no problems. Nothing is different—their terms haven’t changed in the last 10 years. We submitted payment and got all the confirmation emails,” one post read. “This is ridiculous. Yeti, do better.”

YETI, in an email to the group, wrote that the cancellation was simply to comply with their guidelines prohibiting them from customizing products with political text and offered to customize the product with “another logo.”

However, the company did not say why the group was able to order the mugs in the past and whether their policy has changed.

“YETI is unable to customize products with text or logos that are licensed, copyrighted, profane, or political in nature,” the email reads.

The group wrote that they were told by a YETI sales manager that the issue was that the phrase “conservative women” is political in nature; the organization, however, says their nonprofit means they are nonpolitical in a legal sense.

It’s not the first time YETI has faced conservative backlash. In 2018, conservatives boycotted the company because it declined to do business with the National Rifle Association (NRA), reported CNN.

Despite YETI’s explanation, conservatives have taken to social media to criticize the company over the ordeal.

What People Are Saying

Glenn Beck, a conservative radio host, on X: “A conservative women’s nonprofit says that YETI abruptly canceled the group’s order and claimed to have done so because the design has the word ‘conservative’ in it.”

Connecticut State Representative Craig Fishbein on X: “Well, that solves it for me. A couple of years ago, I had them make one for me that said on it “Atlas Shrugged – Now Non-Fiction” (a political message if ever) and I recently lost it. Was gonna order a new one from them. NOT NOW!”

What Happens Next

While some on social media say they plan to boycott YETI, it’s unclear whether that will translate into a larger movement against the company.