Business Communication and Character

View Original

Bud Light Regrets "Up for Whatever" Campaign

Bud Light bottle

Bud Light wants to attract the female demographic, but its latest campaign isn't winning any friends. In a campaign, "Up for Whatever," the beer company seems to be promoting bad behavior. A new bottle label reads, "The perfect beer for removing ‘no' from your vocabulary for the night."

This isn't the first time the campaign was criticized. A New York Times article gives some history: 

And in March, Bud Light was forced to take down a post on Twitter that appeared to promote some type of sexual harassment: ‘On #StPatricksDay, you can pinch people who don't wear green. You can also pinch people who aren't #UpForWhatever.”

This time, Bud Light seems to regret the label choice. In a statement posted on its website, the company promises to stop production: 

Bud Light removal

Image source

Discussion Starters: 

  • What's your view of the campaign? Bud Light calls is "lighthearted." Do you agree? 

  • Should the company have learned after the St. Patrick's Day tweet? Why do you think the bottle labeling continued after that criticism?

  • Is stopping bottle production the right decision? Should the company also pull existing bottles from shelves?