The new Taco Bell media blitz aimed at getting attention to its new breakfast line does what it does by reminding us that McDonald’s has something to do with a guy named Ronald McDonald.
Otherwise, why do we care that a hundred Ronald McDonalds from across the country took money from the production company that put together the spots to tell us that they prefer Taco Bell’s breakfast crap over McDonald’s breakfast crap?
It makes you think that the followup is going to involve finding at least one person with the last name King who won’t mind lying and making up that his nickname is Burger to let you know that he isn’t a big fan of BK’s breakfast croissants, and, OK, yeah, sure, Taco Bell rules.
I’ve never understood why so many marketing campaigns involve branding for the opposition. Remember those Pepsi commercials from a year or so ago that had two competing soda delivery guys showing up at the same store at the same time, only that the Coke guy secretly liked Pepsi products, and even their pitchmen, most notably Snoop Dogg?
So a guy wearing a Coke uniform (who we’re supposed to believe actually delivers Coke products) enjoys a refreshing Pepsi. That means we should, too!
A bunch of guys named Ronald McDonald like Taco Bell for breakfast, or so we’re told, ergo we’ll probably like their slop, too, because, well, you know. I mean, Ronald McDonald invented McDonald’s, or whatever.
Next thing you’re going to tell me, Tony the Tiger is going to start talking us up about Fruity Pebbles, and Cap’n Crunch is going to throw us all the ultimate curveball and come out in favor of skipping breakfast altogether in favor of an early lunch.
For what it’s worth, I’m not eating anything Taco Bell has to offer until they can assure me that the meat is actually meat, and not 30 percent meat and 70 percent something else.
No matter what Ronald McDonalds have to say.
– Column by Chris Graham
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