What Is Offensive About This Ad?

Someone was bound to be offended, since people are always offended by something. I just think this is a case of that. People who need to be offended, so they can push their "cause."

People seem to be trying to find things to be offended about these days. There's nothing wrong with that ad.

First, *very* smart of Taco Bell for pulling the ad. Likely, more people will pay more attention to it because of stories like this than would if it had just been run. Now it's a story instead of just another stupid commercial.

I wouldn't say it's "offensive" per se, (other than the PC 'but what about the veggies' health contingent that wrestled Cookie Monster into submission) but being vegetarian myself for the last long 13 years or so, the idea that someone would 'kinda hate' me for bringing veggies just seems stupid--and lazy on the ad guys part. For me, it doesn't really matter. Don't like my veggies? Stuff you. More for me, thanks.

As I don't watch football, my veggies won't be ruining anyone's party this Superbowl.

I have to add, too, that I don't think Taco Bell is offending a major 'healthy eating' demographic to the point that it would negatively affect their sales.:)

For what it's worth, I find the banner and margin ads for "Make Your Baby A Star!" far more disturbing.

I rolled my eyes at the fact that people are offended over this and wondered, "Who on earth has so little to worry about that they get pissed about this?" and then AHA!!! I remembered that when my mom was vegan, she took her veggie lovin' so seriously that seriously any knock to vegetables riled her up. *sigh* It was a trial, to be sure.

I say, let Taco Bell air their ad to their hearts content! Health advocacy groups could respond with good humor and a twinkle in their eye and tweet something like this: Taco Bell shuns veggies? #6packandapound #Pepto #12packof toiletpaper #gutbombsareawesome

I saw this too. Really, with all the issues our world faces today, I have to now worry that vegetables are going to be offended? Will okra sue me if I call it slimy and gross on Facebook? Seriously, it's ridiculous.

Let me explain, from my experience in an ad agency and my husband's many years as a copywriter, that this commercial (any commercial) is expensive to create - writing, art direction, production company, actors, sound and post-production, and that's even before it airs. Commercial ad copy & concepts go through all kinds of revisions Air time is expensive, and Super Bowl air time is astronomical. So nobody makes a commercial without a strong eye on the dollars and without a whole lot of back & forth between agency and client. Taco Bell has a big ad budget and a big, expensive ad agency. Don't think for one second that the subject of "veggie bashing" didn't come up in early discussions of the original concept as well as during copy revisions and production. Everyone signed off on this. It's also possible that they ran it past some focus groups - sometimes companies do this, sometimes they don't.

I think their point was to make Game Day fun and get everyone to throw caution to the winds. They, like other fast food restaurants, are also under a lot of pressure for promoting unhealthy eating habits. They're worried about their bottom line, namely people not buying their food. That's a problem on a daily basis, but it's a huge problem on big junk-food days like major football games, March Madness basketball, World Series, and so on. So they try to get everyone to come to the door of a party with something that benefits their company. Every Subway and beer company is doing the same thing, not just for the pre-game stuff but for the commercials during the game, which are watched by people who don't watch football on any other day of the year. We all know that.

And it's also on the heels of the pizza company getting publicity for giving away 2 million pizzas or whatever it is, while not paying their workers a decent wage or providing medical insurance. So Taco Bell is trying to capitalize on that.

They are getting more publicity by doing this, as is the pizza guy, so it completely offsets the costs of the commercial - which were HUGE. Even negative publicity makes your company a household name, and a lot of people won't think this is negative at all. It's hard to know if this will backfire.

I don't think anyone is really deceived that there is nutrition in a taco because there are some shreds of iceberg lettuce on them, do you?

Meantime, there's already so much backlash over the VW commercial and whether it's racist or not, that no one's going to remember Taco Bell. So again, it may backfire!

Well I suppose if you were a veggie you would be offended but last I checked veggies don't tweet.

If I had to guess I would say the veg group is looking for publicity.

Taco Bell made the decision to pull the ad, it wasn't forced by any group or organization. As Hazel said, they are getting WAY more publicity this way than by ignoring any complaints.

And, um, Taco Bell tacos are not healthful food just because they toss a few strands of lettuce on top of them...

Ugh, I cannot stand people that I term to be "offense collectors". They go around being offended and outraged by everything. I don't think any vegetables' feelings were hurt by this commercial.

That being said, there's no such thing as bad press. Makes me want to go out and get a Dorito Taco.

Now I have to remember to be PC to veggies!!!! What's next fruit????

Maybe they were worried about all the obese smokers in Disney. ;p

Wow. Absolutely nothing is offensive and I'm a vegetarian. I think the health advocacy group must have some major "weight" in politics to have managed to convince Taco Bell to pull the ad.

Scary policing if you ask me. I mean let's pull all fast-food ads because they all encourage us to eat junk. Right? Oye!

I think some people have just lost their sense of humor...... People look for a reason to protest... Geez... it's a Taco Company.. who really cares.. .if you have a brain, you already know what 's good for you and what isn't... Sure seems like there are bigger issues to be concerned with ...

Wait... Taco Bell isn't health food? News to me!! ;-p

i feel like now a days everyone is so easily offended by every little thing and everyones always trying to make everything so PC.. so it doesnt really surprise me.. i mean theres always going to be someone or soem group of people that doesnt like something you think or say, but people just take things way too seriously, everyone needs to just lighten up a little bit, i mean its about vegetables for god sake ... personally i dont see anything wrong with the ad at all
-- i think also that everyone is so sue-happy that companies are just trying to do everything possible not to leave any room for some wacko to try to sue them.. and also to keep their business up.. if a whole bunch of people decide to jump on the "i was offended by that-bandwagon" it could mean a loss of business for taco bell and by taking the ad off the air theyre hoping to avoid that .. either way its a bunch of nonsence

Maybe Taco Bell didn't want similar publicity about this kind of ad that they had with the "What's that smell" parody ad. (I forgot to add the word parody the first time.) Instead of making people want to eat Taco Bell, it made them equate Taco Bell with farting.

Sometimes companies actually LEARN from past blunders. I'm guessing that they didn't want this ad that they pay tons of money for to end up in that category.

I'm sure they'll come up with something else that won't be tweeted non-stop about in a negative light.

Why some on here think that the company HAD to change their mind about the ad, I don't understand. What on earth is scary about a company realizing that an ad goes over like a lead balloon, and them changing their minds about running it? They simply don't want to repeat their prior mistake.

Dawn

It is an advertisement that is what they are for to get you to buy their product. My goodness really get a life to those who are offended by a taco commercial if you are you need to get a hobby.

I don't know.
I know a lot of the vegetarians I have known in my life seem a little touchy about it. But, well... I don't know.

I, like Jane below, happen to LOVE some veggies. Especially with dip. Its a great go-with for chips and other munchies for the SuperBowl especially. I cannot abide those prepackaged trays, though. EWW.
Make it from scratch and it is divine... prepackaged---- just ewww.

Taco Bell disgusts me so I'm happy anytime they get tweaked a bit. That being said, it's just more PR for them. :(