Dive Brief:

• Bud Light's catchphrase "dilly dilly" has reportedly been banned at the upcoming PGA 2018 Masters Tournament, according to British golf publication Bunkered. Anyone who shouts the phrase or any other banned phrases will be removed from the tournament by security. However, the PGA has not confirmed the ban, Adweek said. 
• The beer brand still clapped back in a Twitter post signed by the fictional King John Barley IV denouncing the "tyranny" of the ban and promising to send 1,000 "dilly dilly" T-shirts to the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. 
• The brand's Twitter post in response to the ban already had thousands of retweets and likes as of press time. User response on social media ranged from support for the brand's struggle to those wanting to maintain the Masters as an ad-free environment. 

Our King weighs in on the Dilly Dilly ban. pic.twitter.com/rVxrD5dsNf

— Bud Light (@budlight) April 3, 2018

Dive Insight:

Who will win in the battle between an internet meme and an 84-year-old tournament's tradition? In some ways, Bud Light already has by taking advantage of an opportunity to reignite social media interest in a catchphrase that went viral late last year but whose popularity seems to have waned following the Super Bowl, when Bud Light unveiled the final installment of its Dilly Dilly Trilogy. Ensuring the catchphrase makes an appearance at the Masters tournament despite a possible ban by sending 1,000 T-shirts could also gain the catchphrase more exposure if any attendees wear them. 

A nonsensical tagline from a series of medieval-themed Bud Light ads that debuted last summer, "dilly dilly" has become a viral meme, the subject of countless GIFs and a popular new celebratory expression. Football fans have posted about it on social media when their favorite teams score touchdowns, for example, and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has reportedly used the phrase to instruct teammates.

It's not surprising that the PGA would add "dilly dilly" to its list of banned terms, given how the phrase has become a sort of rallying cry among sports fans. While the need for such a ban might seem a little extreme to some, professional golfer Rory McIlroy has complained that loud and abusive fan behavior has become a problem at PGA Tour events, according to Sports Illustrated.