For Whom the Bell Tolls...

Today, we'll be tackling Taco Bell's commercial for their new Pacific Shrimp Taco. But first, here's a list of things I'd do before eating shrimp from a Taco Bell.

1. Roll around naked o'er the mountains of a garbage dump.
2. Walk barefoot on a beach coated in medical waste.
3. Swim in the Ganges River.

Now that you know where I stand on their product. Let's talk about the commercial.



Obviously, I'm not the only one with reservations about buying the seafood at my local Taco Bell, otherwise they wouldn't dedicate their advertisement to alleviating fears by claiming the shrimp is of high quality. But is a cartoonishly ridiculous man, a "shrimp blogger," really the best way to get people to consider buying your product. Everyone in the world knows it's not good shrimp. Regardless of the opinion of this man who dedicates his life to writing short posts about the world's prawn population (a completely reasonable profession if you ask me.) Though I find it hard to believe he could afford to travel so much on what must be a meager salary. I mean, making money from blogging is hard enough...but when your topic is shrimp...whew...good luck.

My point is...everyone knows it comes frozen in a big plastic bag. Everyone knows, while probably safe, it's not worth the chance. Even if it won't get me sick, I'd assume they're the size of a quarter and not nearly enough to fill a 5-year-old. So instead of making grandiose claims about the quality of your food that nobody will ever believe, why not instead address the reservations that would stop someone from purchasing your new offering. Show a commercial with someone making it...or someone eating it...or someone enjoying it. Don't show me a man with a ridiculous made-up profession in ecstasy over a meal at Taco Bell.

And next time you decide to offer a seafood product, put it out at the beginning of Lent when McDonald's starts serving their Filet-of-Fish, not at the end, when Catholics are on the cusp of being able to eat meat again.

-- Steve Creswick
Ad Doctor