YETI, the pricy cooler and cup company, is apparently not for everyone. While the company partners with organizations promoting left-leaning politics, it does not want its brand associated with conservative customers.
YETI just turned down a small bulk order of mugs from the Virginia-based Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women. The group went through its first batch from last year, so it reordered 48 customized mugs printed with its name and logo. YETI agreed to replenish the group’s supply for about $1,600.
But soon the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women received a note from YETI canceling the order.
“YETI is unable to customize products with text or logos that are licensed, copyrighted, profane, or political in nature,” the note said.
Over the phone, a YETI representative said multiple times the word “conservative” was the problem, Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women President Kimberly Begg told The Federalist. Why did YETI complete the order last year?
“Their comment has been that, basically, that was a mistake. They shouldn’t have ordered it,” Begg said.
The Federalist asked YETI for comment. It did not respond.
While YETI’s note suggests it wants to remain politically neutral, the company website shows it partners with organizations that lean left. The following groups are listed as YETI partners:
SheJumps, a $1.3 million nonprofit that aims to increase the participation of women and girls in outdoor sports. The group notes on its website, “We welcome all women and girls—transgender and cisgender, as well as non-binary people. SheJumps strives to fight against racism and acknowledges that our events and programs take place on traditional, unceded Indigenous lands.”
The Venture Out Project, a $700,000 nonprofit that helps “queer, trans, and LGBTQ+ youth and adults create community, develop leadership skills, and gain confidence through the shared experience of outdoor adventure and physical activity.”
Protect Our Winters, a $6.7 million climate change nonprofit that urges people to vote for climate-related agendas.
If YETI can do business with whomever it wants, it would have to thank conservative Colorado cake baker Jack Phillips, who refused to use his creative talents to design a cake promoting same-sex marriage, which is in disagreement with his faith. He spent nearly a dozen years in court fighting for his right not to do work that conflicts with his religious beliefs. Although he prevailed on a technicality, ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court left the question of Phillips’ First Amendment rights unresolved.
Yet this is political, not religious, for YETI. It doesn’t make a lot of business sense to turn down conservative clients, considering that more than half the country just voted against the left’s radical agenda. But in some ways, YETI has never made much business sense. It sells dog bowls for $50 when a used Cool Whip container can get the job done for under $3.
While YETI products have always been prohibitively expensive for some consumers, now the company is making a more explicit statement that YETI is not for everyone — specifically conservatives.
Once word got out about YETI dumping the order, the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women heard from 115 companies offering to fill the order.
“We are deeply grateful for the overwhelming support from conservatives across the country who have rallied behind us,” Begg said. “Conservatives are tired of being silenced and marginalized for valuing faith, family, and freedom — the principles that built America — while radical leftist agendas are celebrated and imposed on us at every turn. We stand proudly with Yeti’s conservative customers. This is about so much more than a cancelled mug order. It’s about boldly defending the patriotic values that make our nation great and refusing to back down in the face of this growing tide of intolerance.”
Beth Brelje is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. She is an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.
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