Thursday 18 October 2007

Taking Tacos To Tijuana

Via The Accidental Hedonist comes a report that Taco Bell are trying to set up shop in Mexico, selling itself as an "American" fast-food place.

They're trying to present themselves as authentically inauthentic giving their "tacos" a made up name and creating a new slogan meaning "It's Something Else".

"It's like bringing ice to the Arctic," said pop culture historian Carlos Monsivais. "Taco Bell wants to take advantage of the perception that if something comes from the U.S., it tastes better, that a country that has been Americanized is willing to Americanize food that is central to its cuisine.

"It is an absurd idea, and given that it's so absurd, it may just be successful in upper-class areas," Monsivais added.

One thing that struck me this article was the comment from the Yum spokesman that was so comically empty of meaning while being precisely verbose that it verged on parody:
"What we are bringing to Mexico is not Mexican food, it's our exciting quick-service restaurant brand," said Rob Poetsch, a spokesman for Yum Brands. "We feel the timing is right, and we've done quite a bit of consumer research to validate that this goes beyond product. It's about value and convenience – that's the universal appeal."

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