Beer giant Anheuser-Busch has been forced to withdraw Bud Light bottles with, "The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night" printed on the label.
This part of its #UpForWhatever marketing campaign, the hashtag was placed under the tagline.
The label has been criticised on a number of fronts, the main being that it promotes or normalises rape culture. This controversy comes after a number of high profile reports examining date rape on US University campuses.
Others claim that it promotes irresponsible drinking.
Budweiser - a proud sponsor of American Rape Culture™ (Removing the "no" from women's vocabulary since 1876). https://t.co/sXlxReZLAl
— Blasfemmey (@BLASFEMMEY) April 28, 2015
Bud Light has some questionable "rapey" copy on the bottles for their #UpForWhatever campaign. http://t.co/NCBDTe5b5W pic.twitter.com/VhijNHO9VI
— uoslo Êž ɯÉpÉ (@adamkolson) April 28, 2015
Bud Light's vice president, Alexander Lambrecht has said that the slogan won't be printed on any more bottles - but he and the company have defended the broader Up For Whatever campaign:
"The Bud Light Up for Whatever campaign, now in its second year, has inspired millions of consumers to engage with our brand in a positive and light-hearted way."
He continues: "It’s clear that this message missed the mark, and we regret it. We would never condone disrespectful or irresponsible behaviour."
