Category: Marketing & Advertising

Mario Lopez Has Written a Book. And It’s Got Something to Do with Tacos

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tn-500_ml03If you thought Geraldo and Niurka were the only infamous Latin “luminaries” entering the world of Literature, think again. Our favorite Mexican-American not-out-of-the-closet-yet TV host Mario Lopez has found the time in his busy agenda to write a book. No shit.

Mud Tacos was written in both, English and Spanish, and it’s got something to do with Lopez and his little sister growing up in Chula Vista, CA making mud tacos. According to a press release:

“Mud Tacos!,” a picture book written by Lopez with his sister, Marissa Lopez-Wong, is a loving tale about their family and the nurturing bond between a brother and sister. The story follows Mario and Marissa and their cousins Chico and Rosie playing in their nana’s backyard and using their imagination to have fun”

In a recent interview with Momlogic, Lopez said he has a “few stories in the pipeline,” and he’s probably going to come up with another book real soon. [I wonder if it would be a sequel, for which this blogger would like to suggest a title: Dirt Enchiladas.]

CNN Poll: Non-Latinos Acknowledge Having Some Form of Contact With Latinos

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On the same week that CNN is giving us the much-a-do-about-nothing Latino in America, CNN/Opinion Research Corp. is releasing some shocking revelations about non-Latinos and the Latinos around them. According to the poll: “Two-thirds of those surveyed say they have at least some contact with Latinos where they live, work or shop. [Poll doesn’t clarify if we’re talking about their gardeners, busboys and maids or simply the people they hang out with to wear sombreros and drink lots of tequila.]

Sixty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday say they have some or a lot of contact with Latinos. That’s up 15 points from 1990.

That said, nine in 10 surveyed also believe that Census workers should ask people whether they are in the country legally when they go door to door next April. Because you know, the “Latin thing” is cool, as long as it has to do with the officially acceptable group of Latinos, not the “other” kind if you know what I mean.

KFC Wants You to Know That Eating Junk Food is Better, Cheaper than Cooking at Home

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Watch as a presumably-single, working Hispanic mom challenges her kids to cook a 7-piece meal with less than $10 and then -wisely- conclude they are all better off eating junk, Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Because, really, how else are you going to feed your increasingly fat Latino kids if not with a super cheap dose of fried food, soda and gravy-filled mash potatoes? [What ever happened to our tomatillo & cilantro-rich diet?]

I bet Dr. Manny is going to get a heart attack over this one.

Target Pulls ‘Illegal Immigrant’ Halloween Costume. You Can Still Dress as a ‘Mexican Muchacha’

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panderobigAfter a very brief Brouhaha, Target.com and other retailers agreed to pull the Illegal Alien costumes they were selling online as part of their Halloween offer.

But don’t despair.

If you are still looking for a Hispanic-themed costume to impress your amigos this upcoming Día de Brujas, you can still get yourself a fake/imaginary/ typical Mexican girl costume from our friends at Halloween Costumes 4 you.

Your Latino friends -particularly those of Mexican origin- will be truly impressed. I guarantee it.

[Attention, shoppers: the tambourine is not included]

As of Today, Everybody Please Call me ‘Martin’

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I couldn’t make this up even if I wanted to. Larry Whitten, a hotel owner in Taos, New Mexico fired a bunch of Hispanic employees because they refused to shorten or change their names. Why? apparently because Mr. Whitten is afraid he cannot pronounce them correctly.

So basically, if you’re Martínez, Mr. Whitten wants you to be Martin; if you’re Marcos, you might as well consider responding to the name of Marc… And if your name happens to be Guadalupe, Esperanza, Montserrat or Salvador, well… I think you’ll be better off just shooting yourself.

[All this is happening in a town called Taos, which now makes me wonder if in a pre-Whitten era it was actually called Tacos?]

Does anybody know?

Estefan, Longoria Ecstatic About National Latino Museum… We Just Need to Raise, Like $300 Million

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Are you clueless about Latino culture?

Worry no more! The Nobel-prize-winning Obama administration this week got a little closer to the creation of a National Latino Museum in Washington.

Spearheaded by Spanish tortilla empresaria Eva Longoria (aka La prieta fea) and Emilio “Lord of Miami” Estefan, a dedicated commission is working in determining how this national museum would best serve in portraying the history and culture of Latinos in the U.S.

Exuding extreme pride -and apparently with a straight face- Estefan was quoted saying: “Today is definitely a proud day […] “This could never have happened 20 years ago. We’re going to create a legacy that will last forever.”

Which is, like, great, considering museum enthusiasts will have to raise somewhere between $250 million and $500 million for the thing. But hey, aren’t Latinos the trillion-dollar opportunity?

¡Sí, se puede! ¡Sí, se puede!

Boating Magazine Launches What I Believe is a Spanish-language Web Site

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Picture 3I just love it when marketers get all excited about doing something to cater to the “ever-burgeoning” Hispanic population; even if its a magazine about people who love their boats.

Meet MarineroLoco, the presumably Spanish-language version of Mad Mariner, an online daily magazine that “takes an inclusive approach to boating, powerboats and sailboats, fishing and cruising, multi-hulls and mono-hulls.”

[Multi-hulls and mono-hulls in Spanish? Why didn’t I think of that before?]

Take a stroll around the site. You will NOT find anything about Cuban balseros or Mexican polleros across the Rio Grande, but you are likely to bump into some of the most fascinating translations and words in Spanish you didn’t even know existed!

It’s so good that even the ads are reinventing the language: Remplaze. Actualize. Ahore en grande. Ahore Ahora…?

Brilliant! Univision Will Have You Pay to Become a Walking Billboard Promoting Its Brand

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You can say whatever you want about Univision, but you cannot deny the company’s marketing team is genius.

Starting today, Univision viewers will be able to visit La Tienda Univision to purchase all sorts of tacky stuff, from El Gordo y la Flaca-themed T-shirts ($25.95) and mugs ($14.95) to pet’s gear featuring the Despierta América logo ($18.95.)

It is still early to tell if Univision’s venture into merchandising will become an important source of revenue for the cash-starved media company. But one thing is for sure: it certainly deals a serious blow to the recently launched Spanish-language version of Sky Mall.

Ay, Chihuahua!

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Ah… the wonders of marketing!

Honor Your Heritage. Eat Pizza. Drink Pepsi. Be Fat

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2004.10.01.obese_childrenHispanic Heritage Month is in full swing now, and because there is never a better time to celebrate our heritage, Pizza Patrón has partnered with Pepsi Co. to bring us “!Viva Latino! Pizza Patron y Pepsi Festejan el Mes Patrio” [sic]

Notwithstanding the lack of proper punctuation, the special promotion has been “specifically designed to honor Latin culture” by having us indulge in unhealthy amounts of fast-food and soda.

According to a story in QSR:

With any 2-liter purchase of Pepsi products through September 30, customers will receive a free phone egrip Non-Slip Strip. The egrip […] features the Pizza Patron and Pepsi logos, as well as Pizza Patron’s slogan, “Latin Life, Enjoy.”

Latin Life, Enjoy?

What ever happened to Dr. Manny Alvarez and his Hot Latin Diet?

Mariachis, Goya Food-Sponsored Señoritas Give ‘Los Mets’ a Hispanic Lift Against ‘Los Bravos’

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LosMetsLargeNot to be outdone by Los Yankees and their legally-non-blond Latina, the New York Mets tonight decided to wear their “Los Mets” jerseys as they face the Atlanta Braves (or shall I say Los Bravos de Atlanta?).

Because unless you’ve been living under a rock (or don’t receive Hispanic Google alerts) we are right in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month, baby!

My friend Henry is at Citi Field as we speak, and assures me there is a Mariachi band playing between innings…

All this, of course, spiced up with the sexy moves of some Goya Foods-sponsored señoritas.

Attention Hispanic Shoppers: Buying Expensive, Useless Stuff Now Available in Spanish!

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I don’t know you, but these days the only pleasure I find while flying around the U.S. consists of browsing the pages of SkyMall, the quarterly in-flight magazine where you can find everything, from a life-size zombie statue and Retro Ice treat makers to potty-training devices for dogs.

So I was crushed delighted to find out SkyMall is now available in Spanish. This way, Hispanics, too, will be able to enjoy the pleasures of spending the money they don’t have in stuff they don’t need, like the $25 Fernando the Chihuahua statue (above) which -SkyMall editors inform us- will be a hit on your dining room…. (and hopefully will go nicely with that decorative plate featuring the Kennedy’s.)

Ay Chihuahua!

And Now… Tortilla + Lime + Salt Chocolate

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Marketing minds never stop working; so it is marketers we shall thank for the upcoming snack craze: Exotic chocolates (or shall I say “chockolates”?) featuring Ramen Noodle, French Toast and Tortilla lime+ salt flavors.

This super idea, someone tells me, comes from Komforte Chockolates, a company I know nothing about but to which I’d love to pitch the following flavors. How ’bout:

1. Chockolate pibil

2. Chockotinga

3. Chorilate

4. Mochapeño

5. Choco-chilaquiles

Will they make this blogger very happy and release some of these by September 16?

El Army Wishes Hispanics in Baghdad a Very Happy Heritage Month

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Don’t be fooled by this picture. Hispanics in the military are a happy bunch… Or at least, they are just about to be.

Starting Sept. 15, Hispanic soldiers in Iraq will be joining the Latino marketing cultural extravaganza known as Hispanic Heritage Month, as the company that took them to Iraq in the first place is preparing a series of events to honor their Heritage.

These include -of course- plenty of “Latin food” and salsa dancing, because that’s what you want to do when you live in a place surrounded by mortal danger and far away from your abuela.