(NEW YORK, AP) — Anheuser-Busch is apologizing for a slogan that appeared on bottles saying Bud Light removes the word ‘no’ from drinkers’ vocabulary.
Photos of bottles with the slogan went viral on social media on Tuesday with widespread complaints about the slogan, particularly at a time of national debate about college rape.
“The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night,” the copy read in full.
The response on social media ranged from crude jokes to criticism that the slogan is part of a culture that tacitly condones sexual assault.
The slogan is part of the brewer’s two-year-old “Up for Whatever” campaign that includes a wide array of marketing, such as a Super Bowl commercial that showed a Bud Light drinker going through a live-action Pac Man game.
The company says the bottle-message campaign included more than 140 different messages intended to “encourage brand engagement,” this one missed the mark, and the company regrets it.
“We would never condone disrespectful or irresponsible behavior,” Alexander Lambrecht, vice president, Bud Light said in a statement. “As a result, we have immediately ceased production of this message on all bottles.”