Taco Bell’s Ad Was a Burrito Short of a Combination Plate

Taco Bell Corp.’s tongue-in-cheek claim to have bought the Liberty Bell forced curators of the national symbol to scramble on Monday to assure angry callers that the nation’s most famous bell hadn’t been co-opted.

The Mexican-style fast food chain used full-page newspaper advertisements Monday--April Fool’s Day--to announce that it had purchased the cracked bell to help reduce the national debt. Taco Bell also quipped that the symbol of liberty was being renamed the “Taco Liberty Bell.”

The Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia, where the bell is on display, was “inundated with calls,” said a harried spokeswoman.

Taco Bell said some callers wondered if the firm’s sense of humor was cracked.

“To those people who didn’t get the joke, we apologize,” said Taco Bell spokeswoman Amy Sherwood. “But the vast majority of people we talked to today realized that April Fool’s Day is a day for good-natured fun and a little bit of rebellion.”

Taco Bell said the advertisement--while crafted to help build sales--also pointed out the importance of corporate America in helping to preserve national treasures. Taco Bell said it is donating $50,000 to help preserve the historic bell.

The ads, part of Taco Bell’s new, $200-million advertising campaign, left a sour taste with some. “I just don’t think it’s funny,” said Lake Forest retiree Rosemary Bursin, a former history teacher. “It’s tacky.”