Taco Bell was sued for its chihuahua ads.

 

Taco Bell was sued for its chihuahua ads.

In the 1990s, the phrase “Yo Quiero Taco Bell” was extremely popular because of the Taco Bell chihuahua ads.

With $500 million spent on advertising, the chihuahua became a cultural phenomenon. 

Advertising for the character stopped in 2000, but disputes started as early as 1998.

Two Michigan men, Joseph Shieibrahimlds and Thomas Rinks, created a “psycho chihuahua” character and had discussed adapting the character for Taco Bell advertisers.

The ads, however, were run by a different advertising agency. 

Shields and Rinks were awarded $30 million by a federal jury in 2003, and an additional $12 million in interest was added three months later.

Chipperton also commended Gidget on her camera presence and professionalism, and was surprised that she was unable to land any big roles after the Taco Bell gig. "She was kind of typecast, so she never really got much work after that," she told CNN. The chihuahua's next starring role was in "Legally Blonde 2" as Elle Woods' dog Bruiser in 2003, followed by a role as an extra in "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" in 2008. Chipperton was sad to see Gidget pushed out of the spotlight over the years, but enjoyed her time with her as an easygoing companion until the pooch passed away at the age of 15 in 2009.