The polarizing marketing partnership between beer giant Bud Light and trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney was launched without approval from senior executives of parent company Anheuser-Busch (AB), according to a new report.

The partnership unveiled on April 1 drew intense backlash from some quarters, with musician Kid Rock posting a video of himself shooting at cases of Bud Light, and country singers John Rich and Travis Tritt dropping ties with the brand.

On the other side of the debate, podcaster Joe Rogan and shock jock Howard Stern have both slammed the furious backlash as overblown, with Rogan saying: 'I think it's goofy.'

But behind the scenes at AB, 'no one at a senior level' was aware of the partnership that has now dominated headlines for weeks, and the decision to include Mulvaney in the campaign was taken by a 'low-level marketing staffer,' two sources close to the situation told The Daily Wire.

That claim comes despite the attention on Bud Light's VP of marketing, Alissa Heinerscheid, for her remarks in an interview days before the Mulvaney partnership, saying she wanted to trade the brand's 'fratty' reputation for 'inclusivity'.     

But according to an insider cited by the Daily Wire, the partnership was undertaken by 'some low-level marketing staffer who helps manage the hundreds of influencer engagements they do.

'It was a mistake,' the person added. DailyMail.com has contacted AB for comment.