Anheuser-Busch agrees to pull Fan Cans from shelves

Chancellor Brady Deaton wrote a request to cease production.

By Rachel Allred

Published Sept. 22, 2009

Anheuser-Busch complied with Chancellor Brady Deaton's request for the company to pull the black and gold Fan Cans from store shelves and cease production of the product last week.

MU News Bureau Executive Director Mary Jo Banken said Anheuser-Busch promptly replied to Deaton's request regarding the beer cans, part of the company's Team Pride campaign.

"The chancellor wrote a letter to Anheuser-Busch, and they responded within a week," Banken said.

Deaton said concern was raised when the cans bearing school colors became present around MU and Columbia because administration thought they opposed the standards of the university and violated trademark guidelines.

"The chancellor asked Anheuser-Busch to discontinue the Team Pride marketing campaign because it is an infringement of Mizzou's trademark policies," Banken said. "He also thought that the image of our trademark logo associated with an alcoholic beverage portrayed an image inconsistent with one of our values. We work hard to educate our students about making responsible choices, and we thought this marketing campaign was inconsistent with this value."

Senior Nigel Church said Anheuser-Busch's conformance to the request speaks well of the company.

"It seems positive on the company's part that they were willing to acquiesce to our demands," Church said. "I'm glad they respected our right to our colors and our right to endorse what we want."

Nigel said although he supports the chancellor, he doesn't think the cans were a big problem.

"It seems like a good thing for the university to stand on its walls of being an academic university," Nigel said. "I think it's good the chancellor stood his ground. On the other hand, it seems like a really small thing. It probably hasn't deterred any drinking on campus. The cans just might have made people choose Budweiser over other beers."

Senior Megan Jacob said the Fan Cans made games more enjoyable and is disappointed to see them go.

"They were festive and added to the tailgate," Jacob said. "It was fun that they were Mizzou colors. I think every school should have them. It adds to school spirit and brings people together."

In its response to Deaton, Anheuser-Busch did not specify when the Fan Can campaign would end in Columbia but said it would be in the near future.