Taco Bell has been successfully thinking outside the bun for a while, with some genuinely funny ads and some genuinely strong business results. Their latest effort is a departure from “If you like Pina Colada” parodies, and it has gone a bit awry.
I’m sure you’ve seen it on TV; they’re telling the true story of Christine Dougherty, who lost 54 pounds with the help of Taco Bell’s Fresco menu. I’m sure someone somewhere in the world in the past several decades quit smoking by jogging sideways and chewing an indigenous tree root. Doesn’t mean it’s a good way to quit smoking.
And apparently, most people think Taco Bell isn’t a real good way to lose weight. According to Zeta Buzz, which mines blogs, message boards and social media postings to measure buzz about a subject, not only has Taco Bell's buzz rating dropped six points after launching the diet, but three of the words most closely associated with Taco Bell and its campaign are now "fat," "stop," and "joke."
Oops.
I really admire Taco Bell for trying something different. The truth is a powerful tool, and Christine's story is compelling. Unfortunately, just because a story is true and powerful, it doesn’t mean that it must be told. Especially when it comes to selling a product.
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