Everybody who doesn't live under a rock knows the story of Jared, the dude who lost 240 lbs on a diet consisting of exercise, and of eating nothing for lunch and dinner but Subway turkey and Subway veggie sandwiches. This guy sparked a ubiquitous TV campaign for Subway that's been largely heralded as a great success which helped propel Subway's image as a healthy, fresh place to eat fast food. Never mind the fact that not a single ingredient except the bread is actually prepared in-store.
Now, Taco Bell is trying to do a similar thing based on fan mail they've received about their "Fresco" menu. Just to clarify, customers who select an item "Fresco Style" are substituting Salsa for sour creams, creamy sauces, and cheeses. I discovered this nifty option myself when I was on a Weight Watchers program (lost 23 lbs in 10 weeks), and it really does make a difference. For instance, I happen to really like their Grilled Steak Soft Tacos, and I found that ordering them Fresco style eliminated 36% of their calories, 70% of their fat, and two of them left me with a yummy, quick, inexpensive meal. Each one was only 3 "points" in the Weight Watchers system, so two of them was only 6 points, which was less than 1/5th of my daily allowance of points. Anybody who's been on Weight Watchers will tell you, a meal that only costs 6 points is a big damn deal.
Now...would I make a diet around Taco Bell the way Jared did around Subway? No! But Taco Bell had flavorful, nutritious options that didn't cost me any guilt or lost dietary momentum.
Is Taco Bell trying to make a diet around Taco Bell? No! They're just trying to point out that they have a significant number of good menu items that are not counter to a reduced-calorie, reduced-fat diet. What's wrong with that?
Plenty, according to the red-eyed spittle-flinging Nutrition Nazis and Dietary Diatribers in the blogosphere, who are vilifying Taco Bell with claims that make it sound like the campaign, and indeed the very idea, are nothing less than preposterous, possibly illegal, most definitely immoral, and possibly terroristic.
So, OK. The ads don't represent ground-breaking creative, but I don't think that's why the backlash is happening. Make no mistake, Taco Bell may have a public relations challenge in the making. Is it a disconnect between the reality and the image of the brand? Reality being, yes, you can eat healthy there (and not just as a well-hidden single asterisk of an item on the menu) and the image being Mounds of Gooey Nachos When You're Drunk at 2 am?
What do you think?
And what do you think they should do about it?
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
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2 comments:
I think Taco Bell is smart to advertise the Fresco option. They've had it for a couple of years, but you almost had to be "in the know" to know about it. Plus, I honestly like the tacos with Pico de Galo on them more than the cheese.
Letting people who care about their weight know that Taco Bell can be an occassional option for them is smart marketing. Now, the execution of it (which is VERY Jared-like) is pretty awful. They should change the advertising to promote it as a healthy option (and not as the taco-bell diet-like thing they're doing now)....for their own benefit. But it's a good product for them to promote IMO.
Most definitively terroristic. Notify the Department of Homeland Security.
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