On the same day Meat & Livestock launched its new domestic beef marketing campaign, advertising news outlet Ad News has carried a scoop revealing the company has sacked an ad agency because its boss had turned vegan.

Here is how Ad News reported the story this morning:

Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) is dropping creative agency The Monkeys from its roster after learning one of the agency’s founders, Mark Green, has gone vegan, AdNews can reveal.

It is thought the relationship between the two broke down after MLA group marketing manager Andrew Howie, an avid meat-eater, caught Green eating activated almonds for protein.

Howie confirmed the news to AdNews, saying: “We are supportive of Mark’s brave yet flawed life choice. As a team we have enjoyed amazing results which have been top of the  the pile. Sadly, from time to time the interests of business partners diverge. We are not in the habit of roasting nor lambasting them for that.”

The Monkey’s has held the MLA’s Lamb portfolio since September 2014 and have released some of the brand’s most iconic Australia Day ads, including the latest spot Operation Boomerang. There was controversy around this year’s spot due to its depiction of vegans, with a scene involving a bowl of kale set on fire. The annual ads are sometimes referred to as the “Superbowl for Australia”. 

Green confirmed to AdNews that MLA had dropped his agency, founded with partners Scott Nowell and Justin Drape, adding that he wouldn’t have meat rammed down this throat, figuratively or otherwise.

“Operation Boomerang might have been MLAs most successful campaign of all time but the vegans can claim one minor victory, I’ve gone vegan,” Green says.

“Having sat across from my business partner Fabio Buresti for over five years, he finally convinced me of the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.”

He also added that he felt the time was right for him to embrace what being “green” really meant.

An incredible story. It just so happens that the day on which this was reported was April 1.

Well played MLA, the Monkeys and Ad News. Just to ensure no one took it seriously Ad News updated its article at midday to explain its was an April Fool’s Day joke and thanked Green and Howie for being such good sports. “The relationship between The Monkeys and The MLA is still going strong.”