Tag: Hispanic marketing

Oscar Mayer Courts Latinos With -What Else?- an Abuela

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LolaEmbarazada

From Oscar Mayer, the company that brought us the disgusting sausage flasher, now comes Lola: The Abuela Who Tells it Like it is, a Facebook fan page featuring a bilingual, annoying abuela that has managed to amass almost 18,000 likes.

When she is not peddling recipes based on Oscar Mayer products, Lola spends her time sharing advice on family gatherings, laundry, married life and other mundane things while speaking her mind and saying things as they are “wether we like them or not.” She even takes the time to give us Spanish lessons -in English- and at least as far as I could see, she has better grammar than the Procter & Gamble abuela.

I don’t know you, but I can only imagine the meeting behind Lola’s creation:

Creative # 1: Let’s create an abuela to share recipes and stuff online, ’cause Latinos are online and love their abuelas and food and stuff…  

Creative # 2: Yeah, but you know, Latinos are going to go up in arms because of the tired, abuela cliché, etc. You know how they are (I’m looking at you, @miblogestublog)

Creative # 1: Oh, I get it! Let’s make her fun and irreverent. That’ll do it.

Done. Budget approved.

Honestly, between these two, I kind of prefer the flasher (At least he did not try to be funny, nor show his face, only his cold cuts.)

Hat tip: Julio Varela

I Want to be Friends with Whoever Translated this Thing

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After almost eight years of blogging about the wonderful world of Spanish-language media, marketing and pop culture, I’ve come across all kinds of weird, poor, lazy, bad and terrible translations from English to Spanish and viceversa.

Some are plain silly, others are just hilarious. But this one above (whose origin is still shady) takes the cake -or should I say ‘se lleva el pastel?’

NOTE: In all honesty, I think the above might just be a case of very witty Photoshop. But… oh, how I wish it were true!

Hat tip: @tropicarlitos

There is a Network of ‘Expert Latinos’ Connecting People with Latino Experts -or Something

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ExpertLatinos

Go figure.

I just found out there is an online collective of “Expert Latinos” called -ahem- Expert Latinos, which is already providing “expert Latino advice” to publications including El Diario la Prensa, Cosmopolitan Latina and La opinión. Per a press release:

Expert Latinos is an English-language tool that helps connect journalists and bloggers with Latino Experts.

I’m not quite sure if Expert Latinos is made up of mostly Latino Professionals or Professional Latinos, but I promise to find out. In the meantime, here’s their video-pitch.

Oscar Mayer Uses Image of a Flasher to Peddle Cold Cuts to Hispanics

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oscarmayer

Call me crazy, but when it comes to marketing sausages, chicken breast, bologna and other cold cuts, using the image of a flasher is not exactly a terrific idea.

I found the above Oscar Mayer ad in the latest issue of People en Español and while I was shocked to see an exhibicionista just there, exposing himself I was relieved to see he was “exhibiting” slices of turkey breast and not a giant wiener. Phew!

Photo: Laura Martínez (from People en Español)

Wiener-Snapshot

Sofía Vergara Launches ‘Ethnic’ Fragrance, Because One Can Never Have Enough Money

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sofia-fragranceIt has been a while since I bug you guys with Latino celebrities and their Latino fragrances, so bear with me.

A bit late, but not to be outdone by the likes of Paulina Rubio, Shakira, Antonio Banderas and even José José, the super-famous, super-rich, super-accented and super-ubiquitous Sofía Vergara is the latest Latina celebrity to announce her own fragrance, which will appear sometime in April in U.S. department stores.

In an inexplicably long article, Sofía Vergara told Women’s Wear Daily that her fragrance will have orchids and roses, not only because they are her favorite flowers, but because they are also Colombian.

“I wanted to bring a little bit of who I am, my ethnicity, where I’m from, and I thought it was very cool to be able to get flowers from Colombia actually into the perfume.” 

I am sure she said all of this in an impossibly accented English, which is fine when you consider that is part of her charm and definitely the secret behind her many millions of non-ethnic money.

50 Shades of Gray… Hispanic Marketing Edition

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The folks over at GrandeLASH products were so eager to peddle its “outrageous” GrandeLASH mascara to Spanish-speaking Latinas, they picked up the first dictionary they came across and looked for the Spanish translation of the word “lash.”

Per WordReference:

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And so this happened:

Latigazos

I don’t know you, but I don’t like latigazos –neither before nor after– I go to “accost.” And don’t get me started on restalleos…

Hat tip: Mi blog Senior Correspondent @LParavano

Univision Telenovela Will Now Feature Footlong Sandwiches

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QuepobrestanricosIf you thought Subway’s Fritos Chicken Enchilada Melt was as culturally relevant as the fast-food chain was going to get, think again.

In the latest example that Hispanic-targeted marketing knows no limits, Subway Restaurants this week announced a partnership with Univision to “seamlessly integrate Subway products and restaurants into Televisa’s hit telenovela Qué pobres tan ricos (Poor, But Rich).

The first integration, say the partners, will show one of the characters surprising another with a Subway $5 Footlong.

Per a joint Univision-Subway press release:

“This integration allows us to reach Hispanic audiences in an engaging and authentic way,” says Gabriela Mangieri Harper, multicultural marketing manager at Subway.

Because everybody knows that, to effectively reach Hispanic audiences, there is nothing more authentic than a Fritos Chicken Enchilada Melt

Looking to Reverse Soup Slump, Campbell’s Turns to Hispanics

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NachoFiestaCheese
What other delicious recipes might Campbell’s be cooking for my people?

If you thought Fiesta Nacho Cheese, Kick-It-Up a Nacho or Mexican-style chicken tortilla  soups were enough to satisfy the demanding palate of my people (i.e. Hispanics,) think again. The venerable Campbell Soup Company, hoping to reverse a “soup slump,” is ready to accelerate its Hispanic-themed and Hispanic-targeted canned soups and other so-called food products.

But don’t think that throwing in some queso and tortillas will be enough to attract more U.S. Hispanics. According to this article in Food Business News, the company “has added dual-language packaging for some of its products,” presumably in a similar way they’ve done with the “French” language.

Somehow Campbell thinks "Fiesta de légumes" is Spanish for "Fiesta Vegetable."
Somehow Campbell’s thinks “Fiesta de légumes” is French for “Fiesta Vegetable.” [Oh, but is Fiesta Vegetable English or Spanish?]
Alas, there was no mention in such article about how “Fiesta Vegetable” became Fiesta de légumes in “French” but I guess that’s material for a future post.

Yummy!

Are You ‘Hombre’ Enough? Las Deportadas Want to Know

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Screen Shot 2013-08-22 at 5.03.38 PM

In its ongoing quest to position itself as the beer for real hombres, Tecate today launched the Are you hombre enough? challenge, basically asking guys -Latinos and non-Latinos- to prove their manhood.

The challenge, led by a pair of sportscasters known as Las Deportadas (a tongue-in-cheek moniker to show they are Hispanics and sports specialists) basically aims at testing guys’ manhood by asking them “super revealing” questions. For example:

Fans are encouraged to quickly answer a series of questions designed to test their hombre-hood, including “Your girlfriend asks you to hold her purse. What should you do?”

Because as everyone knows, carrying your girlfriend’s purse will make you look like a sissy, something your macho compadres will never approve of.

What I don’t quite get from the whole promotion is how expressing your love for Tecate Light will make you hombre enough. All the real hombres I know (and those I’m attracted to) will most likely gulp down liters of mezcal, tequila or aguardiente while actively refusing to carry your purse and urging you to take your top off.

Watch Las Deportadas do their thing as they go to “Dallas” (no pun intended.)

Univision’s Fernando Fiore is Now Peddling Power Tools

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In the latest sign of the hotness of the U.S. Latino market, Univision sportscaster Fernando Fiore has been hired by Makita to promote the one and only “Mexican National Team 7-1/4″ Circular Saw Blade.”

Call me crazy, but I’m not sure what an Argentina-born sportscaster and a Mexican National Soccer Team have to do with a 7-1/4″ Circular Saw Blade.

But, hey, that’s me!

Click here to watch Fiore in full action pitching the 7-1/4″ Circular Saw Blade

In the Name of Hispanic Marketing, Vonage Trashes the Spanish Language

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Call me a mamona purist, but every time I see a Spanish-language commercial for Vonage, I cannot help but cringe, and wonder why the marketing forces behind this campaign didn’t come up with something more creative without trashing the Spanish language.

I guess they were “berry” excited to use a popular saying, so how about this:
Vonage: Bueno, Bonito y Barato.

Hispanic Marketing Reaches New Low With the Pepsi-Branded Mariachi

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I did not attend this year’s Hispanic Retail 360 conference, nor am I claiming ownership of this photo. A loyal follower of this blog sent it to me thinking I would have a good chuckle.

I didn’t really laugh, though I kind of choked on my Hispanic Gatorade.

[Somebody should really tell Pepsi we don’t really brand our mariachis in Mexico. Thank you for cooperation.]

Gatorade Will Have you Believe Hispanics Love Lime & Cucumber in their Sports Drink

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I said this before, and will say it again. Marketing minds will never cease to amaze me.

Not content with having conceived Hispanic mayonnaise, Hispanic cheese and Hispanic tuna, marketers have now concocted a Hispanic-flavored sports drink.

According to Fronteras, Gatorade has launched a flavor line called Sabores de mi Tierra, featuring Limon Pepino (sic) and Sandia Citrus (sic), which for some reason are supposed to make us, Latinos, think of home.

Ay, caramba!

Sombrero tip: @latinorebels and @hispanictips

¡Órale! Here’s How to Get a Free Pizza in the States

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Remember Pizza Patrón? the Texan pizzeria that caused a major brouhaha for saying it would accept Mexican pesos as payment?

Well, the marketing geniuses behind the pizzeria’s fabulous success are at it again, this time offering a free large pepperoni pizza for every customer that orders in Spanish. Per a company press release:

On Tuesday, June 5th from 5pm to 8pm, Pizza Patrón is launching its PIZZA POR FAVOR™ event at restaurants nationwide. Every customer that orders in Spanish will receive a free large pepperoni pizza, which is the company’s top-selling product. Free pizzas are limited to one per customer between 5pm and 8pm, at participating locations, while supplies last.

This is freaking brilliant, and this blogger can’t wait for June 5th to place her order.

I just have one question, though: Can I get not one, but TWO free pepperoni pizzas if I order Una pinche pizza por favor?

Thank you, Pizza Patrón, in advance for your prompt attention to this matter.