14740: Cicloferón Thinks People with Sickness Are Savages.

This Cicloferón advertisement from JWT in Mexico demonstrates that pharmaceutical advertising sucks worldwide.

14739: Papa John’s Continues To Do The Wrong Thing.

Advertising Age reported Papa John’s—allegedly in an effort to clean up its damaged image—named a former Arby’s president as the new CEO. So, to offset the troubles ignited by Papa John’s Founder John Schnatter using the N-word, they hired a guy whose last name is Lynch. Perfect.

In An Ongoing Effort To Turn Around Papa John’s Tarnished Inage, The Pizza Chain Names A New CEO

Arby’s president, Rob Lynch, will take over as Papa John’s chief executive

Struggling pizza maker Papa John’s International Inc. appointed Arby’s President Rob Lynch as chief executive officer, naming an outsider as it further breaks from its controversial founder John Schnatter.

Lynch, a fast-food industry veteran, will replace Steve Ritchie. It’s the biggest shakeup since activist shareholder Starboard Value set its sights on the pizza company. In a statement, Chairman Jeff Smith cited Lynch’s “proven record transforming organizations and realizing the growth potential of differentiated brands.”

Papa John’s, which operates about 5,300 locations globally, has been facing slowing sales, with revenue declining 12 percent in 2018. Schnatter, whose image had once been deeply ingrained with the company’s marketing, agreed earlier this year to resign from the board and dismiss a lawsuit related to his departure last year as chairman. Papa John’s woes grew last summer after the founder used a racial slur on a conference call, which he said was taken out of context.

“A new management team is usually a pretty good opportunity and you’re seeing it reflected in the stock price now,” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Mike Halen said.

Papa John’s shares rose as much as 7.6 percent Tuesday in New York, the biggest intraday gain in six months. The stock had already climbed 10 percent this year through Monday’s close, after declining the past two years.

Starboard has invested $250 million in Papa John’s since February. Smith, Starboard’s CEO, became chairman of the pizza maker when it took the stake. The pizza maker’s shares fell 29 percent in 2018 and 34 percent in 2017.

Lynch joined Inspire Brands-owned Arby’s in 2013 as the roast-beef sandwich chain’s chief marketing officer. Before that, he worked at Procter & Gamble Co. and Yum! Brands Inc. as vice president of brand marketing for Taco Bell. He was appointed president of Arby’s in 2017 overseeing marketing, operations and development.

Pharrell’s hat

At Arby’s, Lynch led the chain’s heavy meat-focused marketing and bold ad campaigns that poked fun at vegetarians. Arby’s has more than 3,300 restaurants across the world. In 2014, Arby’s hit social-media marketing gold when it started a back-and-forth with recording artist Pharrell Williams over Twitter over his hat, which resembles the restaurant chain’s logo. “We luckily got our first big win just from being tuned in when we saw Pharrell wearing an ‘Arby’s hat’ at the Grammys! We quickly sent a tweet to Pharrell, and our conversation went viral,” Lynch said in an interview with Marketing Land.

Starboard is known for its turnaround of Olive Garden owner Darden Restaurants Inc. Smith’s proxy fight to replace Darden’s directors included a nearly 300-page Power Point presentation that called for several specific changes at the Italian-dining chain, including adding salt to the water when cooking pasta. Smith took over as chairman of Darden and the company embarked on an effort to improve its lagging performance that included spinning off its real-estate portfolio.

Ritchie, Schnatter’s one-time protege, took over the role of Papa John’s CEO in January 2018 when his boss stepped down. That came a few months after Schnatter went after the NFL for its handling of football players dropping to one knee in protest during the national anthem. Ritchie also worked as a delivery driver and store manager before becoming operating chief in 2014 and president in 2015.

Schnatter, long the largest shareholder, has been reducing his stake in Papa John’s, recently selling shares worth more than $30 million, according to a filing. Schnatter still controls almost 17 percent of the company’s shares, while Starboard holds about 15 percent.

Papa John’s, battered by steep competition from pizza competitors and the explosion of food delivery options, recently announced former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal as an investor and board member. Same-store sales fell 5.7 percent in the latest quarter in North America. To keep struggling franchisees from going out of business, the company has been offering them royalty reductions and funding for advertising.

In Tuesday’s statement, the company reiterated its full-year outlook of a decline of 1 to 4 percent for North America same-store sales. It also maintained its forecast for international comparable sales of flat to up 3 percent.

Separately Tuesday, Arby’s owner Inspire Brands named Jim Taylor president of the sandwich chain, replacing Lynch. Taylor had served as Arby’s chief marketing officer.

—Bloomberg News

14738: Popeyes “Louisiana Fast” Tagline Is Slow In Reality.

This Popeyes Cajun Sparkle Boneless Wings & Tots commercial features Annie the Chicken Queen and two White women—which makes the spot a divertisement of sorts. It also begs the question as to why Annie is usually interacting with White people in the overall campaign. Popeyes likes to hype its home of Louisiana, a state consistently ranking among the top ten with high Black populations. So shouldn’t Annie spend more time in the ‘hood?

14737: Ogilvy And Cadbury Create Candy Ass Divertisement.

Ogilvy in India presented the Cadbury Unity Bar to celebrate the diversity of the country’s people—although the White chocolate appears to be on top.

For Ogilvy, there’s the White chocolate bar.

14736: By The Light Of The Silvery—And Whitened—Moon.

This Egyptian campaign for Pure Beauty tells women they can shine like the moon—thanks to skin whitening cream. Pure Beauty is pure bullshit.

14735: Ad Council Delivers Dumb Editorial Divertisement.

Adweek published a patronizing perspective from Ad Council President and CEO Lisa Sherman that is actually a divertsity discourse. Sherman blathered about the imperative for inclusiveness in campaigns, calling for fair representation of female sub-segments including body image, sexual orientation, generational, etc. “Consumers crave more inclusive ads,” declared Sherman. Of course, the Ad Council has a history of partnering with White advertising agencies, which ultimately perpetuates the very issue Sherman is pontificating against. It’s enough to make a Native American cry.

How Marketers Can Create More Comprehensively Inclusive Strategies

Consumers want to see themselves reflected in ads

By Lisa Sherman

Young. Attractive. Thin. Able-bodied. Straight. White. Cisgender.

For decades, almost everyone who appeared in ads conformed to these traits. Marketers believed that ads showcasing “beautiful” people—by traditional standards, anyway—would compel consumers to buy their products.

But consumers today don’t want to buy from picture-perfect, homogeneous models. They want ads that reflect the real world, featuring people who look like them and reflect their lived experience.

Some brands are adjusting their marketing strategies accordingly, but they need to consider all angles. It’s not enough to add a few token minorities or plus-sized models. Customers won’t be compelled by half-hearted approaches to diversity. The most effective ad campaigns feature a genuine commitment to diversity and equality.

For too long, marketers have ignored wide swaths of society. More than half of Americans don’t feel their lifestyle is represented in ads, according to a May 2017 survey. A separate analysis of spring 2019 fashions ads revealed that only 11% of campaign castings went to plus-size women. Less than half of a percent of models were openly transgender or non-binary.

Consumers crave more inclusive ads. Consider a study from Cambridge University in which audiences found marketing content more compelling when they shared traits like skin color, size and age with the models. As one of the lead researchers said, “It’s not necessarily enough to show one component, which is similar. People really wanted to see someone who represents them in all three factors.”

Eight in 10 parents like to see diverse families in marketing content, according to a recent study of more than 2,000 people. More than four in 10 millennial parents are likelier to buy something from brands that embrace diversity. And about half of moms pay closer attention to ads that feature a real mother instead of actresses or models.

Some businesses have already launched powerful, effective campaigns that fully embrace diversity.

Take Project #ShowUS by Dove. To improve diversity in ads and media, the company is working with Girlgaze and Getty Images to build a library of stock photography with more realistic images of women. Thus far, the campaign has compiled more than 5,000 images with all types of women. And one of the campaign’s main videos, for example, features a variety of people: a black woman with natural hair, an Asian woman with imperfect skin, a white woman in a wheelchair, an older white woman and a non-binary model. This is a depiction not of the advertising fantasy world of old, but the diverse reality we actually live in.

Or consider take “A Coke Is a Coke,” Coca-Cola’s 2019 Superbowl ad. In the ad, animated figures of all different professions, races, sizes and walks of life drink Coca-Cola. Toward the end, it notes that “Different is beautiful.” The message is clear: Everyone is unique but can still come together to enjoy a refreshing beverage.

“First Shave” by Gillette also illustrates a commitment to diverse narratives. The ad depicts a father showing his son how to shave, a typical rite of passage. However, there is a break from the norm: the son is transgender. By incorporating this unique perspective within a timeless tradition, Gillette successfully celebrates diversity.

Consumers are increasingly demanding that the brands they interact with demonstrate an authentic commitment to diversity. Companies must meet that demand by featuring the full spectrum of races, ages, genders, sizes and other core identities in their marketing or risk being left behind.

14734: Publicis Groupe’s Team One Is A Losing Team.

AgencySpy posted about Team One—the Publicis Groupe shop created to exclusively service Lexus—experiencing layoffs this month. Does anyone doubt the shrinking White advertising agency will ultimately change its name to Team of One? That is, the place will inevitably reduce to being staffed by a single employee.

Team One Went Through a Round of Layoffs This Month

By Erik Oster

Publicis Groupe’s Team One, the holding company’s agency founded as a dedicated unit for Lexus, went through a round of layoffs earlier this month.

An agency spokesperson confirmed that the agency had parted with around 3% of its full-time employees. The agency’s website boasts the office has “500+ people,” which would place the number let go at 15 or above. Team One’s LinkedIn page claims it employs 201-500, putting the lower end of an estimate in single digits.

“On occasion, we make adjustments to our staffing mix based on agency business requirements as well as the business requirements of all our clients,” Team One CEO Julie Michael said in a statement. “Our business relationship with Lexus remains healthy and productive.”

A source close to the matter characterized the staffing adjustments as related to the changing scope and nature of the agency’s client relationships, as the agency evolves to focus more on data, personalization and technology to meet clients’ changing demands. The source characterized the changes as a shift by the agency into investing more in data sciences, tech and studio resources, leading to reductions in other areas.

Team One expanded its data team with the arrivals of Emily Sanford as management director, digital, CRM and data application and Dr. Bharath Gangula as executive director, data science and advanced analytics back in June.

Around a year ago, Team One reportedly went through a round of downsizing as Lexus sales dropped. Lexus reported a sales decrease of 5.4% for this July, compared to the same period in 2018 but it’s unclear if this had any impact on its approach to advertising and marketing. Back in March, Team One hired TBWA\Chiat\Day creative director Kirsten Rutherford as executive creative director for the Expedia account.

14733: Annie The Chicken Queen Is Now Diabetic…?

Oh shit! Annie the Chicken Queen is hawking Ozempic. Guess all the eating at Popeyes led to type 2 diabetes.

14732: Clio And BBDO Los Angeles Celebrate 60 Years Of Exclusivity.

The self-indulgent garbage depicted above—produced by Clio and BBDO Los Angeles—is described as follows:

As part of The Clio’s yearlong 60th anniversary celebration, they are unveiling six decades of (advertising) history immortalized in one masterpiece.

The masterpiece-of-shit shows over six decades of Whiteness in the advertising industry. It would be more creative and appropriate to display a blank white canvas.

14731: Predicting A Wreck For Women Drivers And SafeAuto.

AgencySpy posted about Joan being selected as the White AOR for SafeAuto. The pitch allegedly involved seven White advertising agencies. Based on the quality of past campaigns, the win indicates Joan and a handful of other mediocre shops are desperate for billings.

SafeAuto Chooses Joan as Agency of Record

By Minda Smiley

SafeAuto has named Joan as its agency of record, following a review.

The state minimum auto insurance carrier previously worked with Greatest Common Factory. According to Joan, seven agencies participated in the pitch.

As agency of record, Joan will be tasked with leading SafeAuto’s strategic thinking, as well as producing video, audio, design and digital creative. The agency will also help manage special projects and partnerships.

“We’re really excited about this new partnership and the opportunity to revitalize the SafeAuto brand. We believe in SafeAuto’s inclusive mission which aligns so closely with ours, and we’re lucky to be working with such a wonderful team,” Joan co-founder and CEO Lisa Clunie said in a statement.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Joan to help us better connect with the people we serve day in and day out,” added Sloane Stegen, SafeAuto’s consumer demand director. “SafeAuto is dedicated to helping Americans stay safe and legal on the roads. Our goal is to offer reliable and dependable insurance without all the unnecessary bells and whistles, and help our customers keep their hard-earned money in their pockets. We know Joan will be able to share our message with the people that matter.”

Joan added four members to its creative team earlier this year. The agency went through a small round of layoffs in May, though it did not appear to be linked to any specific account shift.

The agency also recently went through a rebrand and moved into new offices.

14730: Publicis Groupe Buys More White Women For Divertsity.

Adweek reported Publicis Groupe bought Rauxa, which technically means the White advertising agency is no longer woman-owned. Of course, Publicis Groupe will count the acquisition as a boost for divertsity.

Publicis Groupe Continues Acquisition Spree by Obtaining Rauxa

It was the industry’s largest independent woman-owned agency

By Erik Oster

Publicis Groupe just made another major acquisition.

Mere months after acquiring data company Epsilon for $4.4 billion, the holding company has announced the acquisition of full-service independent marketing agency Rauxa.

“With the acquisition of Rauxa, Publicis Groupe is further delivering on the promise of driving one-to-one consumer engagement at scale for clients. The addition of Rauxa’s strategy, data, tech, media, creative and production expertise further enhances our data-driven creativity offerings and scaled capabilities across investment, strategy, insights and analytics, data and technology, commerce, performance marketing and content,” Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun said in a statement.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Rauxa’s net revenue was around $70 million at the time of the acquisition.

With the acquisition, Rauxa will become part of Publicis Media in the U.S. and continue to be led by founder Jill Gwaltney and president, CEO Gina Smith, who will report to Publicis Media Exchange (PMX) global CEO David Penski and Tim Jones, CEO of the Americas for Publicis Media.

Founded in 1999 as a team of four, Rauxa has since grown to a team of over 320 in the U.S., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Orange County and Dallas, becoming the industry’s largest independent woman-owned agency along the way. Its client roster includes Verizon, Samsung, Alaska Airlines, Vans, Celgene and over 20 other brands. Publicis Groupe also counts Verizon and Samsung among its client roster.

“People ask me, ‘What does it mean to be women-led? How does that differentiate?’ I’d say it gets to [our] core values: mentorship, transparency and care,” Gwaltney told Adweek. “The care we give to our clients and the care we give to our people, that is going to stay and that’s one of the things that [Sadoun] liked about Rauxa and one of the reasons he said, ‘Rauxa’s going to stay Rauxa.’”

Gwaltney explained that implementing Smith, who she said first joined the agency as a receptionist out of college, as CEO in 2016 was a key milestone for the agency and has led to explosive growth. She explained that previously, a holding company acquisition was not something she had considered, but that she was looking for opportunities for Rauxa to grow further.

“One of the nice things is that we got to date Publicis before we married them because we were working on some clients together. It’s really important to me that cultures match. It’s about taking care of employees, doing the right thing and providing this incredible service to clients,” Gwaltney said, a point Penski seconded.

She explained that her father was a mentor while she spent 20 years working with him in the printing business and that his first lesson to her was “figure out what customers need and help them get it done,” which was instrumental in shaping Rauxa’s philosophy.

Penski explained that Rauxa would boost the network’s CRM and personalized creative offerings, areas where he said Rauxa performed “as well as anyone.” He also cited Rauxa’s dedication to client service and client engagement, new business acumen and managerial style, and said that the company added different, but complementary, offerings to existing Publicis Media entities while also boosting it geographically in locations where its presence hasn’t been as strong.

While Rauxa has been on Publics Groupe’s radar for around five years, Penski said the agency particularly stood out as a potential acquisition over the course of the past year or so. The two parties started discussions at the end of last year.

It helped that Rauxa beat Publicis on a couple of new business wins this year alone.

“How they look at a client is so similar to Publicis that it’s a very easy fit for us to bring in,” Penski told Adweek. “We believe across a number of our large ‘Power of One’ clients that Rauxa is the right partner to bring in [to drive organic growth].”

“We’re in a place where we have the team to really deliver on that promise of creating personalized experiences for our brands,” Gwaltney said. “Now we’re ready to show it off to the world, and Publicis makes those introductions for us, … and they also have the power of all these additional capabilities in media, for instance, that help us team up with some of the clients that we have, for a greater offering.”

14729: Annie The Chicken Queen Concept Needs Help.

For Popeyes’ new Parmesan Ranch Double Dippers, Annie the Chicken Queen appears to be serving as the help in what looks like an exclusive Whites-only club.

14728: Dream Flight, Nightmare Air Disaster.

It kinda looks like these folks are dreaming of airline crashes.

14727: Absolut Absolutely Loves Hip Hop Big Time.

For Absolut Juice to use Lizzo is lazy.

14726: Brazilian Campaign For Genetic Testing Fails.

Not sure what this Brazilian campaign is trying to communicate. Absolutely certain that Brazil is in no position to be promoting such a patronizingly progressive platform.

14725: Annie The Chicken Queen Temporarily Replaced By Whitish Woman.

Advertising Age reported on Sweet Dixie Kitchen, a California restaurant that launched a sandwich for Popeyes with advertising starring Kim Sanchez, the eatery’s owner. Annie the Chicken Queen must feel dissed and pissed over the blatant slight.

Popeyes launches sandwich at the restaurant that secretly resold its chicken

Sweet Dixie Kitchen gets Popeyes’ chicken sandwich for two days before the national rollout

By Jessica Wohl

Popeyes is heading to a local California restaurant that famously re-sold its fried chicken to launch its first national chicken sandwich.

Popeyes is promoting the sandwich’s debut by visiting the scene of what might be called a culinary crime. Sweet Dixie Kitchen, a restaurant in Long Beach, California, came under fire a couple of years ago after locals discovered the restaurant used Popeyes chicken in its chicken and waffles dish. The matter blew up on the Internet well beyond Long Beach after a local reporter wrote about it in an October 2017 story for the Long Beach Post.

Now, Popeyes is hoping the public’s memory of the event—which, lest you’ve forgotten, was dubbed #popeyesgate—won’t deter people from wanting to try the chain’s first national chicken sandwich.

Popeyes got Kim Sanchez, the Sweet Dixie Kitchen owner who bought and re-sold Popeyes chicken, to star in a video about the launch.

The creative campaign comes from Gut, the agency started by Anselmo Ramos and Gastón Bigio, who were previously two co-founders of David. It’s the first work from Gut for the Popeyes brand.

Popeyes describes the sandwich as a buttermilk battered and breaded white meat chicken filet, served on a buttery, toasted brioche bun with two “barrel cured” pickles and classic mayo or spicy Cajun spread. The sandwich is hitting the Popeyes menu with a suggested price of $3.99.

The new product, which Popeyes called its biggest launch in 30 years, shows how the chain is trying to win over fans of market leader Chick-fil-A and other chicken-focused rivals including KFC.

But first, there’s the promotion with Sweet Dixie Kitchen.

“To be honest, I thought they were calling to sue me,” Sanchez said in a statement provided by Popeyes. “We have a long history with Popeyes, but we’ve always said Popeyes chicken is the best fried chicken we ever had.”

On Aug. 8 and 9, the sandwich will first be available at her restaurant, before hitting Popeyes locations on Aug. 12.

Brian Addison, who wrote the Long Beach Post story about Sweet Dixie’s use of Popeyes chicken in 2017, reported this week that Sweet Dixie Kitchen is closing. The closure isn’t addressed by Sanchez in the video.

Popeyes, meanwhile, is growing under the ownership of Restaurant Brands International, which bought the chain in 2017 and also owns Burger King and Tim Hortons. Restaurant Brands said last week that Popeyes’ second-quarter same-store sales rose 2.9 percent in the United States and 3.7 percent in international markets. It recently announced plans to open 1,500 Popeyes in China during the next decade and is planning to open Popeyes locations in Spain.

14724: MDC Means Massively Dysfunctional Cesspool.

MediaPost reported MDC Partners saw its stock value rise while revenue dropped. Of course, the CEO and CFO spun the news in a positive—and positively deceptive—style. CEO Mark Penn declared, “We began aggressively executing against a comprehensive two-year plan that will create a more nimble organization and return this business to consistent revenue growth. The plan is built around agency cooperation and network collaboration, with digital-first thinking and media and creative integration across agencies.” Well, sure, MDC will be more nimble in two years because the White holding company will feature fewer and smaller White advertising agencies—although the shitty shops seeking to bail out won’t gain freedom and independence. And cross-functional collaboration will become a necessity because each decimated, disabled and dysfunctional firm will be incapable of offering full-service capabilities.

MDC Partners Stock Up Despite Revenue Drop

By Larissa Faw

Investors are seemingly pleased with Chairman/CEO Mark Penn’s turnaround plans at MDC Partners after Wednesday’s morning call with financial analysts sent the stock up 4% during mid-day trading to $2.39.

The company is seemingly on a precipice, trying to manage challenges, while simultaneously taking advantage of opportunities. On the downside, revenue dropped 4.6% to $362.1 million during the second quarter, and organic revenue decreased 2.4%.

On the plus side, net new business rebounded from a decline of $11.7 million in the first quarter of the year to an increase of $43 million in the second quarter “as agencies took advantage of the continued strength of our pipeline,” Penn said.

“We began aggressively executing against a comprehensive two-year plan that will create a more nimble organization and return this business to consistent revenue growth,” Penn added. “The plan is built around agency cooperation and network collaboration, with digital-first thinking and media and creative integration across agencies.”

Penn noted the recent move to align MDC Media Partners with GALE is just one example of “many initiatives” the firm is pursuing to create a more cohesive network. “We believe this plan will create a more efficient organization that delivers consistent financial returns and allows partner agencies to thrive in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive marketplace.”

As MDC rights the ship, the company seeks to manage costs, while attempting to take steps to optimize its business for growth.

Adjusted EBITDA was up 8% versus the prior year, while margins improved over 150 basis points year-over-year.

Revenue for the first six months of 2019 was $690.9 million—down 2.2% versus the same period a year ago. Organic revenue was down 1.7% during that period.

Net loss attributable to MDC Partners common shareholders for the first six months of 2019 was $1.4 million—a significant improvement over the net loss of $30.1 million for the first six months of 2018 thanks to staff reductions, deferred acquisition costs and favorable foreign exchange rates.

MDC is cautiously upbeat about its future, expecting a modest 0% to 2% growth in organic revenue for the remaining half of the year.

14723: Delayed WTF 46—Why The Unilever DNA Stunt Doesn’t Fly.

MultiCultClassics is often occupied with real work. As a result, a handful of events occur without the expected blog commentary. This limited series—Delayed WTF—seeks to make belated amends for the absence of malice.

A MultiCultClassics visitor pointed out that the recent Unilever DNA stunt was previously executed by Aeroméxico for a promotional initiative. The general premise is that people will be more sensitive to culture and diversity upon learning their true ancestry. It’s important to note, however, the key differences between the Aeroméxico and Unilever experiments.

For Aeroméxico, Advertising Age reported people were given travel discounts based on how “Mexican” they turned out to be. The airline and its advertising agency gave customers DNA tests to reveal the customers’ Mexican heritage. The customers then received flight discounts corresponding with the results. For example, if a customer turned out to be 18% Mexican, they were presented an 18% discount. The more Mexican DNA a person had, the greater the discount offered.

For Unilever, advertising and marketing executives across its own workforce and the staffs of its advertising agencies took DNA tests. The goal was to make the executives more aware of their racial and ethnic identities—which Unilever hopes will lead to fewer stereotypes depicted in advertising campaigns. Unilever ultimately declared the experiment led to a 35% reduction in unconscious stereotyping and a 27% increase in original thinking. Of course, the advertiser cannot provide figures regarding how any of this will affect produced work.

Comparing Aeroméxico and Unilever is apples and assholes oranges. Specifically, Aeroméxico provided financial rewards—i.e., clear incentives—to participants. Unilever, in contrast, awarded nothing to its participants and has no idea if the testing will incentivize more diverse and inclusive campaigns. Hell, it’s unlikely the collected data will lead to more diverse and inclusive workplaces at Unilever and its advertising agencies—which actually could help eliminate stereotypical depictions.

In the end, Unilever devised a diversity sensitivity training program and spun it into a PR-generating event. The advertiser shat out another divertisement to fabricate the illusion of cultural competence and progressiveness. If DNA tests could measure deception and lies, Unilever would be revealed as a world-class offensively ignorant conglomerate. The Aeroméxico customer below perfectly summarizes everything.

Aeroméxico stuns Americans who don’t like Mexico with DNA results

The formerly reticent travelers all get flight discounts based on how Mexican they actually are

By I-Hsien Sherwood

Apparently there are people who refuse to travel to Mexico. Maybe they hate warm weather and good food?

Or maybe all the rhetoric about “bad hombres” has gotten to them. It’s ironic, because many of the people who’ve written off our southern neighbor live in U.S. states that used to be part of Mexico. And because genes don’t recognize political boundaries, people in those states are more likely to have Mexican heritage, whatever their political beliefs.

Aeroméxico, the national airline of Mexico, decided to prove that fact and drum up a little business at the same time. Traveling throughout the Southwest U.S., the airline and agency Ogilvy Mexico found people who insisted they’d never want to go to Mexico. Then they gave them DNA tests to reveal any Mexican ancestry and offered flights with discounts based on the results. The more Mexican DNA, the higher the discount.

In Wharton, Texas, Bill admits he likes tequila and burritos, but he doesn’t like Mexico. Still, he seems pleased to find that he’s 18 percent Mexican, which entitles him to an 18 percent discount. He’s also 3.6 percent more Mexican than his wife, a fact he can’t help but crow about.

Not everyone is happy about their results, at least not initially. “That’s bullshit!” exclaims one Texan, after finding out he’s 22 percent Mexican. But he’s quickly mollified by his whopping 22 percent discount. Poor Betsy only gets 3 percent off.

After Texas, the project continued through Colorado, Utah and Nevada. All told, 54 percent of the people tested showed some Mexican heritage. Remember, these were all people who said they’d never want to visit.

It’s not the first time Aeroméxico has tweaked anti-immigrant policies. In 2016, during the heat of the presidential campaign, the airline lampooned the very idea of borders. “On land, borders can maintain distances, but in the sky, we show you it’s different.”

14722: Renault Repeats Really Rundown Rubbish.

Publicis in the UK is responsible for this Renault campaign. How many auto brands have produced variations of this lame concept?

14721: Deutsch Divertsity Distortion & Downright Deception Dumbly Delivered.

Adweek interviewed Deutsch New York CEO Val DiFebo, who hyped her advocacy for diversity and inclusion by claiming:

As a member of the ANA’s Educational Foundation Board, our goal is to educate students about the diverse world of advertising today. One of my first initiatives was to broker and update the AEF’s “Industry Conversations” video series to feature stories with dynamic executives from various disciplines and backgrounds. We then created “Breaking Into Advertising,” an IGTV series with young industry talent providing relatable and valuable advice on starting a career in advertising. By sharing these stories, we’re able to pave the way for a more broad swath of people to enter the field, one of the most important issues facing our industry.

Brilliant. Perpetuate another heat shield by recruiting colored students. DiFebo immediately followed with divertsity distortion on promoting White women. Of course, she dodged mentioning firing Deutsch’s Diversity Director—who happened to be a woman—because the agency allegedly didn’t want to continue investing in inclusion. DiFebo should change her name to DiFibber.

14720: We Don’t Need Another Hero Lager Campaign.

This Hero Premium Lager campaign urges Nigerians to never forget their true identities—by drinking beer…?

14719: Happy 10th Birthday, Annie The Chicken Queen.

The Popeyes website features a company timeline that includes: 2009—Popeyes introduces feisty spokesperson Annie on national television to tell it like it is. Wow, Annie the Chicken Queen is celebrating a decade of stereotypical sassiness.

14718: Papa, Pappa, Pizza And Perverts.

In Brazil, they’re celebrating Orgasm Day at Pappa Jack. Um, isn’t this the kind of stuff that led to trouble in the U.S. for Papa John’s?

14717: Advertising Age Lacks Intelligence And Direction.

Advertising Age reported on new leadership at the Chicago offices of FCB and Energy BBDO—with a photograph of Chicago that is facing the wrong direction and does not include the headquarters of either White advertising agency.