SNICKERS DROPS "MECHANICS KISSING" AD

The ninth-ranked Super Bowl ad according to USA Today's Ad Meter has been pulled by the makers of Snickers. It will no longer run on television and has been deleted from the Snickers website, although it is widely available on other sites. The ad was pulled after several organizations that represent gays and lesbians complained that it was offensive.

From USA Today:

Among groups who complained is the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "Mars needs to apologize for the deplorable actions of its Snickers brand," said GLAAD President Neil Giuliano in a statement.

But not all gay activists object to the ad. Cyd Zeigler, co-founder of Outsports.com, a website for gay sports enthusiasts, says he saw it at a Super Bowl party with 30 gay friends — and no one had a problem with it. "I simply wasn't offended by it," Zeigler says. "I just don't see how a couple of mechanics pulling out chest hair because they kissed is offensive."

Still, he thinks that Masterfoods would be wise to apologize. "They're a business," he says. "And no company in a free market is in the business of alienating consumers, intentional or not."