Taco Bell pulls anti-veggie ad after protest

Taco Bell's anti-veggie, pro-taco ad prompted angry tweets and other forms of protest from public health groups, who condemned what they called Taco Bell's anti-veggie propaganda.

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Steve Helber / AP
Trucks go through the drive-through at a Taco Bell restaurant in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Taco Bell recently pulled an ad dubbed "anti-veggie" by public health advocacy groups.

Taco Bell is pulling a TV ad after receiving complaints that it discouraged people from eating vegetables.

The ad by the fast-food chain was touting its variety 12-pack of tacos, with a voiceover saying that bringing a vegetable tray to a party is "like punting on fourth and one." It said that people secretly hate guests who bring vegetables to parties.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a health advocacy group, this weekend urged people to tweet their complaints about the ad and the chain quickly made the decision to pull it.

"We didn't want anyone to misinterpret the intent of the ad," says Rob Poetsch, a Taco Bell spokesman.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest thanked Taco Bell for its speedy response.

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