UPDATED: Olive Garden Denies Pulling Letterman Ads Over Palin Joke

UPDATED 6/19: Politico reported that Olive Garden's manager of media relations told the paper the company was pulling its Letterman ads. Olive Garden is disputing the story.

Olive Garden's manager of media relations, who asked not to be quoted on the record, confirmed to POLITICO Thursday that the emails were sent by the restaurant chain, and also confirmed that the company would be pulling its remaining television spots on the program for the rest of the year when asked that question.

But in a statement released later in the day, Olive Garden Director of Media Relations Rich Jeffers disputed POLITICO's report as "erroneous." [...]

When asked about the cancellation confirmation POLITICO obtained from the company's media relations office, Jeffers responded in an email that the individual listed as the press contact on the company's website was unauthorized to speak for the company.

* * * * *

The Olive Garden tells the Christian Science Monitor that they have not pulled their ads from the Letterman show.

"Information reported today by Andy Barr of Politico regarding Olive Garden's advertising on the Late Show with David Letterman was erroneous. No authorized spokesperson for the company confirmed the information in his report," said Olive Garden spokesman Rich Jeffers in an email to The Vote.

"The Olive Garden media schedule is planned months in advance. The schedule for the Late Show with David Letterman was completed earlier this month. We take all guest concerns seriously. And, as always, we will factor those concerns in as we plan our advertising schedule in the future," he continued.

* * * * *

Sarah Palin has forgiven David Letterman, but one restaurant chain will never forget. Olive Garden has announced that they are pulling their ads from "The Late Show With David Letterman" following his jokes about the Alaska Governor.

Following a week of back and forth between CBS late night comic David Letterman and Sarah Palin over a crude joke he told about the Alaska Republican governor's daughter, the Olive Garden restaurant says it is canceling all of its scheduled ads on Letterman's "Late Show" for the rest of the year.

In an email obtained by Politico, a spokeswoman for the chain told a Letterman-criticizing pasta fan that "there will be no more Olive Garden ads scheduled for 'The Late Show' with David Letterman in this year's broadcast schedule."

"We apologize that Mr. Letterman's mistake, which was not consistent with our standards and values, left you with a bad impression of Olive Garden," wrote Sherri Bruen, the company's guest relations manager.

An official statement is coming soon, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

Olive Garden may feel some loyalty to Palin. During the campaign, her running mate ate there with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.).

"When I saw them come in, I was like wow -- John McCain is at Olive Garden," the group's waiter said at the time.

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Comments

[madtom]

Boycott them.

[revko]

Olive Garden pulled flavor from their food years ago

[tomasedison]

Olive Garden ain't real Italian food - it doesn't even come close. Loaded with tons of salt.

Your best advice - SKiP the Olive Garden.

[KataVideo]

Aren't we all getting a bit fatigued with the alaska gov and her followers? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxy2ppMxldgA)
It's been nearly a year since her introduction to the national scene and she's yet to articulate one policy statement.

[RJII]

ketchup and noodles-- I won't miss it.

[sharsharbinks]

Never ate there and never will. Food filled with loads of fat and sodium.

[richntee]

If this is true and Olive Garden pulled its adds from Letterman my family will not be going there anymore.I understood Davids joke to mean the older daughter who was paraded all over the media by Sarah Palin. Sarah twisted the joke around to suit her agenda. Olive Garden you can kiss up too the right but you will lose the center and left, bad busines decision.

[Carsy]

I know it is hardly a barometer about people's feelings about the whole Palin/Letterman tiff but Olive Garden did an about face pretty quickly.

[raven29520]

Letterman was around before Palin or Olive Garden and he will be around when they are forgotten.

[GerryS]

I would not eat at an "Olive Garden Restaurant" under any circumstan­ces-------­--------

sincerely- g (a chef)

[nomorefed]

Your house is worth $125,000 but you paid $250,000 don"t worry with "Mark-To-Market" Neutered you can say whatever you want to about your home value and no one can refute you!
Now when you go in for a loan, simply declare the house is worth $300,000 and along with your clean "ON-THE-BOOKS Balance Sheet" with no visible other debts means you get money from the FED at 1% interest or maybe less!
Why can"t this world be true for ALL AMERICANS like it is for Wall Street?
We do not own Congress and they DO using ill-gotten FUNDS!
Are the Wall Street Banks really healthy? With "OFF-THE-BOOKS" accounting and "MARK-TO-MARKET" Neutered who knows what the truth is!

good articles: http://kl.am/tsc.am/tsc> recommended website

[Diogenis]

Shows that it is a phony Italian restaurant !

[conservicide]

Too salty, too oily, and now, I won't even go to an olive garden in a pinch. bunch of tools

[larry278]

Olive Garden's Italian food is as authentic as a Mexican pizza. Chain restaurants have no chance when they compete with locally owned restaurants. For instance Denny's competes with a 24/7 Greek diner that I like. The diner's parking lot is full 24/7; so is the restaurant is full too. The parking lot at Denny's is, at best, 2/3 full. I've never been in the Denny's; so I don't know if they have empty tables.
I can get better spaghetti or lasagnia at the diner then the Olive Garden. I go to the diner for eggs benedict, sea food or breaded pork chops at any hour of the day. My town has owner operated Italian places that have Italian food to die for & espresso with a lemon twist. That's right, Olive Garden gets customers who don't care about Italian Food.
Olive Garden's TV ads in my town aren't very productive If they pull their ads from Letterman, they will have fewer customers at their store on chain restaurant row. If they fold, they won't be missed. It could be that Palin's supporters would expect spaghetti with moose meat & sauce made with tomato soup based sauce &, baby, that bunch eats only white bread with mataquia, not garlic bread or bread sticks. They probably want plastic bibbs too. They go to Denny's or IHOP for breakfast. They aren't gourmets. They fress or pig out. Do it Olive Garden & kill your self by not buying time on Letterman.

[wilray]

I've never eaten at the O. G. so I can't comment on their food. But my hat is off to you, for saying "fress." I love words and I have never heard that word before. Does it rhyme with dress. I tried getting the pronunciation from Merriam-Webster online but it doesn't list it as a word. I know it's a word cause I checked other dictionaries.

[loudyk]

Olive Garden is finally coming to our town....I'­ve been waiting for years! Knowing they are a Palin supporter has caused me to now become a non-supporter of Olive Garden. I will not be patronizing the restaurant when it opens in my town. Since when do restaurants become involved with politics? I thought they were in business to serve food to people from all walks of life. Guess I was wrong.