Jeff Bezos likes it spicy
The Amazon founder is promoting the Tex-Mex fast-food chain Taco Bell
The Amazon founder advertises the Tex-Mex fast food chain Taco BellBy Thérèse Balduzzi In its new advertising campaign, the Tex-Mex fast food chain Taco Bell in America promotes a quesadilla as if it were a new digital device: Both the dialog and the tagline are borrowed from the slang of young computer nerds. In one commercial, even Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos plays himself.
In the "Bezos Boardroom" spot, a fictitious meeting takes place at Amazon.com. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, wants to know from his employees what's new on the market that Amazon could distribute. "Handhelds. I've seen these," he says dismissively, holding a Palm Pilot. "What do you have that's new?" One of the employees slides a chicken quesadilla from Taco Bell onto the conference table. Another describes the ingredients. The quesadilla is melted cheese and chicken meat in a folded tortilla, making it easy to hold in one hand. A third adds they call these "the hot new hand-held." Bezos asks for a demonstration. An employee bites into the quesadilla and makes loud sounds of delight. This is followed by a brief product description with pricing and the tagline "Think outside the Bun," an allusion to the managerial jargon "Think outside the Box" and the hamburger buns "Buns."
Another commercial uses computer language to describe the new quesadilla: The addition of three different types of cheese is called an "upgrade," the sloppy mass of melted cheese is called an "interface." And the "ergonomic design that helps make downloading easy" must be understood quite simply as "eating". In the third spot, two teenagers share their knowledge about the product by using loud abbreviations like TBCQ for Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla.
The fast food chain engages in brand repositioning
Taco Bell, a subsidiary of Tricon Global Restaurant Inc. and the nation's leading Tex-Mex fast food chain, operates 6700 stores in America, serving food to 35 million consumers each week.
The spots were created by San Francisco agency Foote Cone & Belding Worldwide. With the new $200 million campaign, the fast-food chain headquartered in Irvine, California, is launching a new marketing strategy. It wants to strengthen the loyalty of its regular customers and increase the number of occasional visitors.
The idea for the computer and manager language came from the fact that Taco Bell has discovered a large number of techies - young computer nerds - among its customers. The tagline "Think outside the Bun" is meant to challenge potential customers to see their own fast food habits and Taco Bell in a different light.
"'Think outside the Bun' is not just another advertising campaign," says Taco Bell President Emil Brolick, "it's a repositioning of the Taco Bell brand. Everything we do, from marketing to product quality, will follow the new theme." Taco Bell hopes this will help it stand out from the gigantic array of fast-food products. The Chicken Quesadilla is to be followed by other product innovations.
In the "Bezos Boardroom" spot, a fictitious meeting takes place at Amazon.com. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, wants to know from his employees what's new on the market that Amazon could distribute. "Handhelds. I've seen these," he says dismissively, holding a Palm Pilot. "What do you have that's new?" One of the employees slides a chicken quesadilla from Taco Bell onto the conference table. Another describes the ingredients. The quesadilla is melted cheese and chicken meat in a folded tortilla, making it easy to hold in one hand. A third adds they call these "the hot new hand-held." Bezos asks for a demonstration. An employee bites into the quesadilla and makes loud sounds of delight. This is followed by a brief product description with pricing and the tagline "Think outside the Bun," an allusion to the managerial jargon "Think outside the Box" and the hamburger buns "Buns."
Another commercial uses computer language to describe the new quesadilla: The addition of three different types of cheese is called an "upgrade," the sloppy mass of melted cheese is called an "interface." And the "ergonomic design that helps make downloading easy" must be understood quite simply as "eating". In the third spot, two teenagers share their knowledge about the product by using loud abbreviations like TBCQ for Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla.
The fast food chain engages in brand repositioning
Taco Bell, a subsidiary of Tricon Global Restaurant Inc. and the nation's leading Tex-Mex fast food chain, operates 6700 stores in America, serving food to 35 million consumers each week.
The spots were created by San Francisco agency Foote Cone & Belding Worldwide. With the new $200 million campaign, the fast-food chain headquartered in Irvine, California, is launching a new marketing strategy. It wants to strengthen the loyalty of its regular customers and increase the number of occasional visitors.
The idea for the computer and manager language came from the fact that Taco Bell has discovered a large number of techies - young computer nerds - among its customers. The tagline "Think outside the Bun" is meant to challenge potential customers to see their own fast food habits and Taco Bell in a different light.
"'Think outside the Bun' is not just another advertising campaign," says Taco Bell President Emil Brolick, "it's a repositioning of the Taco Bell brand. Everything we do, from marketing to product quality, will follow the new theme." Taco Bell hopes this will help it stand out from the gigantic array of fast-food products. The Chicken Quesadilla is to be followed by other product innovations.
