Colleges balk at A-B Inbev ‘Fan Cans’ promotion
Anheuser-Busch InBev is dropping its "Fan Cans" promotions from communities around the country where colleges have complained that the effort — which sells cans of Bud Light in school colors — promotes underage drinking and infringes on trademarks.
The Federal Trade Commission is concerned that cans will be marketed to fans under the age of 21, said Janet Evans, a senior attorney at the FTC responsible for alcohol marketing issues. Regulations require at least 70 percent of an ad’s audience to be older than 21. Evans said that doesn’t happen on college campuses.
"When you’ve got a college campus audience you’ve got a very large number of persons who are below the legal drinking age there, and in addition, you’ve got a population that engages almost exclusively in binge drinking," she said.
She said the FTC could neither confirm nor deny an investigation, though she did say she was certain A-B would not repeat this effort in the future. A-B told the FTC the cans would be sold through retailers where purchasers must be 21 or older, said Carol Clark, Anheuser-Busch vice president for corporate social responsibility. Still, the company said it is listening. "Certain cans are not being made available in communities where organizations asked us not to offer them," Clark said.
The nation’s largest brewer started the program earlier this month for its flagship Bud Light brand, where sales have been suffering. The brand — the nation’s biggest — could see its first sales decline in 27 years, according to industry estimates.
The "Fan Can" program uses no logos, names or other identifiers — just 27 color combinations. The program is nationwide, and wholesalers choose to participate. The company estimates half of its wholesalers are participating.
It’s also unclear how many schools are objecting. Some 25 colleges represented by Collegiate Licensing Co. have sent the brewer letters asking it to stop the program at their campuses, according to the company. It declined to name specific schools. Schools that have gone public about sending letters include Boston College, University of Wisconsin in Madison, Texas A&M University, University of Colorado at Boulder and Mississippi State.
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