A judge on Friday temporarily barred Bud Light from suggesting in its advertising that rival beers Coors Light and Miller Lite contain corn syrup. The campaign began in the Super Bowl, during which Anheuser-Busch Companies LLC, part of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, BUD 0.56% ran several Bud Light ads introducing the corn-syrup theme. It continued after the game, including on billboards describing Bud Light as having “100 percent less corn syrup” than either rival brand. MillerCoors argued in its lawsuit that the ads “deceive beer consumers into believing that there is corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup in Miller Lite and Coors Light.” There is no corn syrup in either beer by the time it reaches consumers, the company says, and high-fructose corn syrup is never involved at any point. U.S. District Judge William Conley in Madison, Wis., on Friday temporarily barred Anheuser-Busch ads that say Bud Light contains “100% less corn syrup,” describe corn syrup as an ingredient in Coors Light or Miller Lite, or mention corn syrup without reference to the brewing process.

Source: Wall Street Journal May 25, 2019 15:11 UTC