Bud Light Removes Label Following Controversy

It spread quickly across social media; yet another campaign that should’ve put up red flags in early development.

Bud Light has continued to expand it’s #UpForWhatever campaign, which debuted during the 2014 Super Bowl.

However, the most popular beer in the U.S. has run into issues with the campaign. On St. Patrick’s Day this year, the brand tweeted a picture with the caption: “On #StPatricksDay you can pinch people who don’t wear green. You can also pinch people who aren’t #UpForWhatever.” The caption was placed with a picture of five women posing with an #UpForWhatever sign. The Tweet sparked the first of many accusations of Bud Light promoting a “rape culture.”

To many, the St. Patrick’s Day Tweet was walking a line and may not have been as offensive as some perceived it. But now most agree Bud Light’s newest bottle labels have gone too far and should have never made it to production. The new label says “The perfect beer for removing “no” from your vocabulary for the night. #UpForWhatever”

It’s hard to understand how no one raised their hand in that production meeting, but it teaches the rest of us a valuable lesson. It’s important to take a step back from a campaign, message, Tweet, or product, in order to get a different perspective and make sure it cannot be offensive or interpreted in a negative light.

Published on: May 1, 2015