When I first saw these similarities, I thought the Taco Bell marketing department didn't have a link to the Latino community. I thought they stumbled across the symbols and accidentally used them. I was wrong. While TBWA/Chiat/Day created the concept, Taco Bell also works with Ornela & Associates, who specializes in Spanish language Hispanic marketing. Ornela also collaborates with Budweiser to target Latinos between the age of 21 and 34. I am still wondering if Taco Bell consulted the Latino agency on the choice of icons. It reminds me of the less publicized controversy over the commercials that sang, "run for the border". The image of a man running for the border proved to be a bad PR idea. With the term "illegal" and "immigrant" hovering over the Latino persona, thick accents and men running for borders don't necessarily help.
So, is it offensive? Yes. Educated leaders of the community do not come forward for sport and comedy to say they are offended in press releases. While it does not offend me, I did not grow up with the stigma of having a Spanish accent in the United States. Because the offenders assumed I wasn't Latino, I have witnessed the insults about those who did have accents. The new citizens were called illegal, immigrant, farm worker, illiterate, and other historically hateful labels. The battle African-Americans lost during the birth of film and radio was the control of their image. They didn't have the positive image portrayed with the "comedic". The results were several American folk art forms dedicated to denigrating Black folks and reducing them to acceptable characters. Notice that there are no long-lasting Black dominated dramas on mainstream cable - only comedies. City of Angels is being closely watched to see if it breaks the trend.
The Latino image in early and evolving film was sadly neglected, but we do have the ability to control it with economic boycott and protests. The Latino effort to control our image began in the late 1960s and first attacked Frito Bandito, a Mexican thief who marketers warned would steal your Fritos. When there is an absurd lack of people representing positive roles of a particular group, a caricature is not the way to start. I certainly respect those who guard the Latino image from becoming a negative art form. We have to worry about what kind of image our Latino youth are raised to believe in.
It is offensive if it offends one person. I cannot be offended in the same way unless I have had the same experiences. The companies need to worry about how many have lived similar enough lives to be offended. These people will affect the business income. Unfortunately, the political images seem both well researched and entirely insensitive. It is hard to find a figure from any revolution that is acceptable to everyone. However, not many other companies use revolution or coup patriarchs in their ad campaigns to market to the group of people whose culture was involved.
Of course, the constant crime perpetrated by Taco Bell is the perversion of Mexican cuisine. Next time you are in the mood for Mexican, do yourself a favor and find time to wait an extra few minutes at a real restaurant. Find a small restaurant out of the way. For one thing, you will find a gordita looks nothing like the Taco Bell version. Talk about protecting the Latino image, we are in trouble if Taco Bell ground meats and cheese with a slice of tomato is what Mexican food looks like in 20 years. Even if the menu is not in English, make it an adventure. You will not regret it. And there will be no Chihuahua.
Finally, my question to you is, which of the following is funnier and why:
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