Anheuser-Busch pulls slogan on Bud Light amid criticism

Anheuser-Busch InBev has pulled a controversial slogan it printed on Bud Light bottles after an uproar from people who thought that it alluded to sexual assault.

As part of its “Up for Whatever” campaign, a blue band on the label says, “The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night.”

The slogan comes at a time when colleges around the country are dealing with a number of high-profile sexual assault and binge-drinking issues. It quickly drew a strong response on social media, with some people assailing it as offensive.

Alexander Lambrecht, vice president of AnheuserBusch, which manufactures Bud Light, said in a statement: “It’s clear that this particular message missed the mark, and we regret it.

“We would never condone disrespectful or irresponsible behavior,” he said.

The company, the largest-selling beer brand in the country, and its “Up for Whatever” campaign have more than 140 different labels intended to promote the brand. The company did not respond to requests for additional comment.

In March, AnheuserBusch also ended up on the wrong side of critics on social media, for a Twitter post that appeared to encourage sexual harassment:

“On #StPatricksDay, you can pinch people who don’t wear green. You can also pinch people who aren’t #UpForWhatever,” read the tweet. The company subsequently deleted the post.

Lyndsay Kirkham, a writer for Gender Focus, a Canadian-based feminist blog, wrote that Anheuser-Busch can churn out a “deluge of ‘but you’re misunderstanding our intention’ press releases, but there is no room to beg off with ignorance.”

“One need only begin to Google ‘how to get a girl drunk …’ to spy the swaths of Internet cluttered with DIY rape drinks and instructions on how to use alcohol to reduce a woman’s capacity to consent. They knew. They know. This campaign is a deliberate pandering to the rape culture that too often includes the abuse of alcohol and drugs,” she wrote.