Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. Tuesday dropped a popular drinking game promotion, saying under-age drinkers were imbibing beer during the interactive game instead of water as originally intended.
The No. 1 U.S. brewer has been promoting Bud Pong competitions since July, supplying tables, balls and glasses to wholesalers across the United States.
Players on one team try to sink a ball into another team's liquid-filled cups. If successful, the opposing team must drink. Promotion guidelines specify the use of water in the cups, not beer, Anheuser-Busch said.
In a statement, the maker of Budweiser said that "it has come to our attention that despite our explicit guidelines, there may have been instances where this promotion was not carried out in the manner it was intended."
The announcement to drop Bud Pong comes two days after a front-page article in The New York Times described college students enjoying the popular game in bars and off-campus housing. In the article, Anheuser-Busch spokeswoman Francine Katz said the company may soon expand Bud Pong into more markets because of its popularity.
In a statement released Tuesday, Katz said "as a company that has invested more than $500 million to promote responsible consumption among adults and to discourage abuse, we believe it is important that our intentions with Bud Pong not be misperceived."
Chuck Hurley, chief executive of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, called the beer company's quick turn-around "pretty amazing."
"Their withdrawal of the Bud Pong promotion would be more impressive if it hadn't followed the bad press they received for this irresponsible marketing promotion," Hurley told Reuters.