- Aug 24, 2001
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Masterfoods has shuttered a microsite featuring its 30-second "Mechanics" spot from Sunday's Super Bowl, in response to complaints from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Human Rights Campaign, among others.
The spot, from Omnicom Group's TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York, depicts two mechanics eating opposite ends of a Snickers bar until their lips meet and they break apart. Sheepishly, one mechanic then says he thinks they just kissed. To erase the thought, they decide to "do something manly" and each pulls a clump of hair from his chest.
The site, www.afterthekiss.com, featured the spot and three alternate versions as well as video of Bears and Colts players reacting to all four ads.
On Monday, after some complained that the characters' reaction to the faux kiss was homophobic, Masterfoods closed down the site, a company representative said.
The microsite address now links to the main Snickers site, whose only example of advertising is a 2006 spot featuring a thirtysomething guy singing an acoustic ballad about the chocolate bar's ingredients.
The Hackettstown, N.J-based client originally planned to have consumers vote for their favorite version of "Mechanics" and then run the top vote getter, possibly during the Daytona 500 later in the month.
TBWA\C\D New York executive creative director Gerry Graf could not immediately be reached for comment.
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UPDATE: Snickers parent company Mars has pulled the anti-homosexual ads it was hosting on its website?expressing regret and saying it will never air them again.
# Earlier: Snickers aired an ad during the Super Bowl that featured two men reacting in violent disgust after accidentally kissing while eating a candy bar. While the ad may be a satirical dig at homophobes, the candy company appeared to affirm an anti-gay message on its website?where there were, until a few hours ago, videos of NFL players grimacing in similar disgust at the kiss. (Message to viewers: Manly men should be disgusted by the image of two men kissing.)