The company behind Bud Light beer has apologized for a slogan that critics say condones rape culture.
The slogan, part of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s “Up for Whatever” campaign, appeared on bottle labels and said: “The perfect beer for removing ‘No’ from your vocabulary for the night.”
The sentence sparked outrage across social media networks after a photo of a bottle was posted to Reddit Monday night, CNN Money reports.
On Twitter, for example, users nicknamed Bud Light “the date-rape beer,” USA Today reports.
Within 24 hours, Anheuser-Busch issued a statement:
It’s clear that this particular message missed the mark, and we regret it. We would never condone disrespectful or irresponsible behavior. As a result, we have immediately ceased production of this message on all bottles.
That message is one of 140 that Anheuser-Busch created for Bud Light’s “Up for Whatever” campaign, now in its second year, according to the company’s statement. The messages were “intended to encourage brand engagement,” according to the company.
The advertising company responsible for the campaign is BBDO, which is based in New York, Advertising Age reports.
A BBDO spokesperson referred Advertising Age back to Anheuser-Busch when the publication asked for comment.
Advertising Age continues:
The controversy raises questions about the vetting process A-B InBev has in place to monitor the constant stream of marketing content it produces as part of the campaign.
“We have an extensive review process and this label should not have made it through,” a spokeswoman told Ad Age. “It’s regrettable.”
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