According to several reports on Internet websites hosted by Native American groups, diversity organizations and activists, Anheuser-Busch has bowed to growing criticism and announced it would pull its "Zagar and Steve" advertising campaign for Bud Light. In the campaign the oddball couple of Zagar, who appeared to be the member of a tribe that had yet to come in contact with the modern world, and Steve, an Every Man sort of guy who just happens to attract a bevy of beautiful women, were roommates. The two worlds would collide in an attempt to move cases of Bud Light.
Native American organizations and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility charged Zagar closely resembles a Yanomamo tribesman, indigenous to Brazil, and was offensive to all native peoples.
According to the website DiversityInc.com, A-B's Vice President of Communications and Consumer Affairs Francine Katz released a statement this week saying the brewer did not intend to offend anyone and would pull the campaign at the end of the month. A check of the A-B website finds no statement regarding the matter and the website supporting the campaign, www.zagarandsteve.com, was still operating this evening -- complete with spears, arrows and blowpipe darts.
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