Controversial Bud Light Label Went Through Many Layers of Approval

A Bud Light label that was withdrawn this week after being criticized for encouraging date rape went through at least five layers of approval before being produced, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The label described Bud Light as “The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night.” The label conflicted with current efforts on college campuses to raise awareness of sexual assault. The American Association of State Colleges and Universities is sponsoring a “No Means No” campaign.

The company is not recalling the bottles because the label does not pose a health or public safety concern, a spokesman told the newspaper. Less than 1 percent of Bud Light bottles in circulation have the label, the company said. It is part of a campaign called “Up for Whatever,” which includes about 140 labels.

The company that makes Bud Light, Anheuser-Busch, said its advertising agency, BBDO, wrote the label. The company said the labels passed through the U.S. Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which confirms that labels provide correct information to consumers about a beer’s identity.

The labels are reviewed by Bud Light’s marketing team, members of the company’s legal team, corporate responsibility division and an advertising code committee, the company said. Bud Light Vice President Alexander Lambrecht said the label’s “message missed the mark, and we regret it. We would never condone disrespectful or irresponsible behavior.”

“I have no idea what broke down in their internal review, but certainly there was a serious breakdown,” said Scott Berkowitz of the anti-sexual-assault non-profit Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. He said while alcohol does not cause incidents of sexual assault, “it’s common that participants have been drinking and some rapes happen against incapacitated victims.”