The Liberty Bell is an American cultural artifact in Philadelphia on public display, which was believed to have rung when the American Declaration of Independence was read.

Taco Bell, the American-Mexican fast food restaurant, told the word it was buying it in 1996. Zachary Crockett wrote:

• In 1996 Taco Bell executives were looking for a way to play an April Fool’s Joke
• Then, as today, worries about debt were creating concerns for the nation, and executives decided to announce that as a way to alleviate debt problems, Taco Bell would purchase the bell from the American government, and rename it the “Taco Liberty Bell”.
• The outrage was immediate. Angry letters and senior government officials got involved.
• All in all the ad cost $300,000 – including a $50,000 apology donation for the maintenance of the bell in response to the uproar against the company.
• In return the company is estimated to have gotten about $25 million worth of publicity.
• During the week of the prank, Taco Bell’s sales spiked by $600,000 compared to the week before.

Read more about the stunt, how it worked, the ad that was announced to the world, and more over here.

Source: Priceonomics