57 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
57 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Taco Bell takes a licking.

by The Copy Nazi Banned
48 replies



Taco Bell Promises 'Swift Action' After Employee Tongues Tacos on Facebook | Adweek


What would you do to turn that around - in a hurry? Here's my suggestion - It's already gone viral. They need to piggyback that. Something like -

"Our taco shells are so irresistible even our staff can't keep their tongues off them"

Then they run a fake reel of bloopers of staff licking the shells. So in the end people don't know if its a set-up or real.

To go with that they feature "Licked Shells" or "Pre-Licked Shells" on the menu.

But the whole campaign would need to be "out there" and bold as hell. I'm guessing they wouldn't have the balls to do it.

I believe that's called (to paraphrase their old slogan) - "Thinking outside the bun".

There again maybe they could riff on the current slogan "Live Mas" ("Live More") and tag it "Lick More".

You're welcome Taco Bell. Send the check to "The Copy Nazi, Paris" - it'll find me.

Update: Taco Whacko Tongues the Taco
#bell #licking #taco #takes
  • Profile picture of the author TheSalesBooster
    yeaaaaaaaaaa no.

    This will all be forgotten in a month if it hasn't already. Last thing you want to do is call more attention to it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8139707].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
      Banned
      Originally Posted by TheSalesBooster View Post

      yeaaaaaaaaaa no.

      This will all be forgotten in a month if it hasn't already. Last thing you want to do is call more attention to it.
      Rubbish. They need to leverage that attention - deftly. Hoping it "will all go away soon" is just plain dumb. Have a look at what Reddit did to that Chicken Scratch restaurant.

      "Taco Lickin' Good"
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8139772].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author TheSalesBooster
        Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post

        Rubbish. They need to leverage that attention - deftly. Hoping it "will all go away soon" is just plain dumb. Have a look at what Reddit did to that Chicken Scratch restaurant.

        "Taco Lickin' Good"

        Never heard about the chicken scratch restaurant, what was that about?

        Also it was one douche bag employee doing something stupid. People wanted him fired and now he's fired. Nobody is going to care about it a month from now. Guaranteed.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8140145].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
          Banned
          Originally Posted by TheSalesBooster View Post

          Never heard about the chicken scratch restaurant, what was that about?

          Also it was one douche bag employee doing something stupid. People wanted him fired and now he's fired. Nobody is going to care about it a month from now. Guaranteed.
          Let me google that for you
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8141003].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Curtis2011
        Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post

        Rubbish. They need to leverage that attention - deftly. Hoping it "will all go away soon" is just plain dumb. Have a look at what Reddit did to that Chicken Scratch restaurant.

        "Taco Lickin' Good"
        Taco Bell doesn't need attention. They are already a mainstream part of American thought.

        Also chances are high that the Streisand Effect would occur, and that trying to cover up the licking incident would backfire and spread awareness of it.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8142710].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
          Banned
          Originally Posted by Curtis2011 View Post

          Taco Bell doesn't need attention. They are already a mainstream part of American thought.

          Also chances are high that the Streisand Effect would occur, and that trying to cover up the licking incident would backfire and spread awareness of it.
          WTF. Who said anything about "covering up the incident"? I'm saying the exact opposite. They've been through this before. Look up ^ . Have you even bothered to read the rest of the thread?


          For a fast-food chain, the news should have been devastating: two California law firms joining forces to file a class-action lawsuit claiming that the beef Taco Bell served customers was mostly things other than beef.
          The law firm said the beef at Taco Bell was actually 65 percent extenders, binders, preservatives and other ingredients that didn't meet federal requirements to be labeled or sold as beef. It accused Taco Bell of false advertising.
          The lawsuit made a big splash in the media.
          It brought back memories of the classic Wendy's ad campaign, "Where's the beef?" and gave comics fodder for easy jokes.
          Then Taco Bell did the unexpected.
          It didn't get defensive, put out a brief statement or ignore the lawsuit.
          Taco Bell went on offense in a unique way.
          So to be clear... for the slow ones amongst us... I'm saying Don't try to cover it up - embrace it.


          The Streisand effect is the phenomenon whereby an attempt to hide, remove, or censor a piece of information has the unintended consequence of publicizing the information more widely, usually facilitated by the Internet.
          It is named after American entertainer Barbra Streisand, whose attempt in 2003 to suppress photographs of her residence in Malibu, California, inadvertently generated further publicity.
          Wikipedia
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8142733].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Curtis2011
            Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post

            WTF. Who said anything about "covering up the incident"? I'm saying the exact opposite.
            Somebody (you?) said to try to 'reframe' it to be a good thing.

            That is a way of covering up the real, dirty truth: some employee of theirs was licking food that may have been served to customers!

            Any marketing person at Taco Bell who would want to advertise a disgusting violation of food safety standards at one of their stores would be a marketing dumbass, and you are ridiculous yourself for proposing it.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8145519].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
              Banned
              Originally Posted by Curtis2011 View Post

              Somebody (you?) said to try to 'reframe' it to be a good thing.

              That is a way of covering up the real, dirty truth: some employee of theirs was licking food that may have been served to customers!

              Any marketing person at Taco Bell who would want to advertise a disgusting violation of food safety standards at one of their stores would be a marketing dumbass, and you are ridiculous yourself for proposing it.
              Can you read? Follow the thread. Here...I'll help you -
              Turns out it was all a prank, albeit not one sanctioned by the chain, which has faced a series of P.R. nightmares in recent years. Soon after the photo went viral on Monday, Taco Bell suspended the employee shown licking the tacos and issued a statement explaining that the pose was meant as a joke: The picture was a submission for a photo contest calling for Taco Bell employees to show themselves enjoying the first bite of the product. The company insists the taco shells were "absolutely not" served to customers and were only used for training purposes in March.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8145570].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author Robert Michael
                Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post

                Can you read? Follow the thread. Here...I'll help you -
                If it was just a prank, why would they fire him?

                Riddle me that..
                Signature
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8145809].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
                  Banned
                  Originally Posted by Whos That Guru View Post

                  If it was just a prank, why would they fire him?

                  Riddle me that..
                  Because they perceive he's hurt their brand - just like a lot of you guys think.

                  You'll note I said "needs a deft touch" (or words to that effect) and "needs to be out there" blah blah

                  I know what I'm doing here and I could care less what you bunch of losers think. Could care less. People pay me big bucks for going against the grain.

                  But you know... keep looking at the obvious..."It's food"..."You can't associate licking with tacos"..."You're damaging their brand".

                  Couple of you dudes get it - including, I'm pleased to say, Marc Pescetti - who's been copping a bollocking from me lately.

                  You don't get anywhere being a mouse - SEIZE THE F*CKING DAY! - even if it is a food item. Even if it is a well-known brand...even if it is a chain of restaurants.

                  "Think outside the box" - ever heard of that?
                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8145873].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author Curtis2011
                Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post

                Can you read? Follow the thread. Here...I'll help you -
                Prank or not, doesn't matter.

                All that a normal person on the news has to hear is "Taco Bell employee licking taco shells" and immediately the company sales will plummet, because the average person only gets soundbites from even major news stories.

                Fun fact: I did a report a few years ago on Yum! Corporation which was the owner of Taco Bell (I think they sold it since then). In our report we looked at the sales data of Taco Bell during the "meat crisis" when for a few months, news programs were airing stories about simple accusations that someone had made that Taco Bell beef wasn't technically real beef.

                Even though the lawsuits were never even successful, the story in the news caused Taco Bell sales nationwide to drop by something like 8% for two or three quarters straight.

                tl;dr: Bad publicity is bad for profits. This story is bad publicity. Therefore, this story is bad for their profits and you should feel bad for sharing it.
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8146722].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
                  Banned
                  Originally Posted by Curtis2011 View Post

                  Bad publicity is bad for profits. This story is bad publicity. Therefore, this story is bad for their profits and you should feel bad for sharing it.
                  Hey do you know where I can get some of that Tongued Nacho I keep hearing about?
                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8146787].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mark Pescetti
    Will it blow over?

    Yup.

    But Taco Bell would be stupid to not use some creativity and turn this into a positive.

    Remember when that Austin movie theater kicked out some chick for texting and she left a voicemail saying she'd tell everyone about how bad they are?


    Turning a negative (like licking tacos) into a proftable campaign is no-brainer.
    Signature

    Do You Want To Make 5 and 6-Figures A Month As A Freelance Copywriter? My Copywriting System Has Made Over 600 Million Dollars. Discover More

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8140185].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Robert Michael
    The only possible "positive" things in this situation would be that A, hopefully no customers received any of those shells, and B, if they did - the worker did not have a disease that could be transmitted to them.

    Trying to turn this in to some propaganda about "oh, even the employees can't keep their tongue off them!" would be moronic.

    There is a difference between joking/trying to make the best of a situation, and completely disregarding cleanliness/hygiene.

    The latter would fall in to that 2nd category, in my opinion.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8140205].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author cytherea
    very funny! if you commented the same thing on mashable on facebook i think i "liked" your post several hours ago!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8140419].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author bluewatersailor
    I just saw a BP ad trying to recoup from the disaster they created:


    "When we made our commitment to the Gulf..."

    My snap reaction was "lame-ass and half-ass". All the authority symbols, etc. that they've got in that little production just didn't work to overcome the reality.

    This little tempest in a teapot? I'll go with the OP here: the damage can both be minimized and it can be turned into a big op for the company - if they have the mojo. Which I also doubt they do.

    (Damn. I just had a flash of an ad that features a huge Mexican boot kicking a pimply-faced fryer-jockey with a stained apron and a stuck-out tongue into a mile-high trajectory. Voice-over: "When you lick a Taco Bell taco, be SURE you're on the right side of the counter." Scrolling across the bottom: "Make sure to lick us on Facebook.")
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8140476].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Joshua Lowenthal
      Originally Posted by bluewatersailor View Post

      I just saw a BP ad trying to recoup from the disaster they created:

      BP's Commitment to America has Never Been Stronger - YouTube

      "When we made our commitment to the Gulf..."

      My snap reaction was "lame-ass and half-ass". All the authority symbols, etc. that they've got in that little production just didn't work to overcome the reality.

      This little tempest in a teapot? I'll go with the OP here: the damage can both be minimized and it can be turned into a big op for the company - if they have the mojo. Which I also doubt they do.

      (Damn. I just had a flash of an ad that features a huge Mexican boot kicking a pimply-faced fryer-jockey with a stained apron and a stuck-out tongue into a mile-high trajectory. Voice-over: "When you lick a Taco Bell taco, be SURE you're on the right side of the counter." Scrolling across the bottom: "Make sure to lick us on Facebook.")
      You actually succeeded in convincing yourself that it wouldn't work...and then did it. Except we could go with a television commercial (unless this is what you meant) of the fryer jockey getting batch slapped by his manager and go with your audio lines.

      I'd get this idea copyrighted.

      Seriously it's funny and it would earn a lot of brownie points with the younger crowd who will be turned off by this and would find it funny to see a resembling character get smack onto the counter Rick James style.



      ETA we could even make fun of the blacked eyes and CG a black bar over the guys eyes in the commercial as an after edit type thing and it would really hit, I know it.

      ETA2 it would also make the older crowd bust a gut because they would most likely see the situation from the managers point of view, either way you make fun of an anonymous taco shell licker.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8140505].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author bluewatersailor
        Originally Posted by Joshua Lowenthal View Post

        You actually succeeded in convincing yourself that it wouldn't work...and then did it.
        You missed what I was saying. I do, in fact, believe that Mal's idea would work; that it would actually be the best approach for TB to take.

        (Oh, Ghod... "TB"... for their sake, I hope no one thinks of _that_ connection for the next few months. )

        Except we could go with a television commercial (unless this is what you meant) of the fryer jockey getting batch slapped by his manager and go with your audio lines.

        I'd get this idea copyrighted.
        Tell'em to just add it on top of what they're sending to "Copy Nazi, Paris". It was his idea; I was just riffing along.

        Seriously it's funny and it would earn a lot of brownie points with the younger crowd who will be turned off by this and would find it funny to see a resembling character get smack onto the counter Rick James style.



        ETA we could even make fun of the blacked eyes and CG a black bar over the guys eyes in the commercial as an after edit type thing and it would really hit, I know it.

        ETA2 it would also make the older crowd bust a gut because they would most likely see the situation from the managers point of view, either way you make fun of an anonymous taco shell licker.
        [grin] Well spotted. Those are the two demos I was actually thinking of, impact-wise.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8140534].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Joshua Lowenthal View Post

        You actually succeeded in convincing yourself that it wouldn't work...and then did it. Except we could go with a television commercial (unless this is what you meant) of the fryer jockey getting batch slapped by his manager and go with your audio lines.

        I'd get this idea copyrighted.

        Seriously it's funny and it would earn a lot of brownie points with the younger crowd who will be turned off by this and would find it funny to see a resembling character get smack onto the counter Rick James style.



        ETA we could even make fun of the blacked eyes and CG a black bar over the guys eyes in the commercial as an after edit type thing and it would really hit, I know it.

        ETA2 it would also make the older crowd bust a gut because they would most likely see the situation from the managers point of view, either way you make fun of an anonymous taco shell licker.
        You can't copyright an idea.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8140883].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8140831].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    What's the target demographic for Taco Bell, you band of geniuses? Teenage males. Who do you think my idea would resonate with? Teenage males - bigtime.

    THINK - before you open your mouth. Or at least DO SOME RESEARCH.

    Someday, the moves being made by Taco Bell brand stewards may be considered in business schools as a textbook case of how to turn things around. For now, they're at least bringing some smiles to executives of Yum! Brands — and to Taco Bell aficionados everywhere.
    It seems that the introduction of the widely awaited Doritos Locos Taco, as well as a breakfast rollout on the West Coast, boosted the company's fortunes considerably during the first quarter, with Taco Bell same-store sales up a remarkable 6 percent during the period compared with a 2-percent drop in the fourth quarter.
    The brand had been dragging cheese lately because of a certain boredom with its products by its teen-male cohort; a faux scandal over the content of its beef filling didn't help matters.
    The co-branding gambit with Doritos — a former sibling brand under Taco Bell's former owner, PepsiCo — seemed just the thing to re-engage the brand's target demographic, because many of them go as wild over Doritos as they do over Taco Bell. Someone has to make those slapstick Doritos ads the most popular commercials during the Super Bowl. Then Taco Bell added to its momentum with a new advertising campaign and new tagline — "Live Mas" — that was unveiled in February.
    Brand Mas: Taco Bell Turnaround is Taking Hold

    So maybe we need to drop the ubiquitous "dude" into that heading.

    "Dude - our taco shells are so sick even our staff can't help tonguing them

    "Dude... our taco shells are so sick... our staff can't leave them alone

    Tagged "Live Mas" - with the "live" crossed out and "Lick" inserted - like a graffiti tag.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8140881].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author bluewatersailor
      Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post

      What's the target demographic for Taco Bell, you band of geniuses? Teenage males. Who do you think my idea would resonate with? Teenage males - bigtime.
      Funny thing - I just ate at one last week (for the first time in years), and the place was about evenly divided between tables full of teens and family groups (one white, one hispanic, and two black, IIRC.) Surprised me a bit, since I only remembered it from the 1980s as the place to get a burrito at 1 a.m., especially when drunk.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8141538].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    "It's Time to Tongue the Taco!"
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8140909].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ParkerArrow
    Funny joke. I hope it was worth his NEVER ENJOYING A MEAL IN A RESTAURANT AGAIN FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.


    I remember teaching a PR class in Shanghai. We did a mock product recall PR speech.

    To a student, each one blamed the customer and assumed corporate unassailability. I find that fascinating.
    Signature

    PLR Modifiable Content
    PLRmod.com

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8141019].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author bluewatersailor
      Originally Posted by ParkerArrow View Post

      Funny joke. I hope it was worth his NEVER ENJOYING A MEAL IN A RESTAURANT AGAIN FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.
      I wonder mightily, I do. I suspect you're giving him credit for much more self-awareness than he actually has.

      When I was a young immigrant living in L.A., my first American friends were... from the wrong side of the tracks, let's say. (And I'm damn glad of it, actually; seeing that side of life in the US early on has served me in uncountable ways since, and saved my ass in a number of bad situations.) One of the "friends of a friend" worked in a fast food restaurant - a Wendy's, maybe? - and I remember him boasting about getting revenge on a nasty customer by rubbing the burger patty on his dick before frying it up.

      I didn't spend much time in fast-food restaurants in those days - for one thing, money was so tight that making a chicken last most of a week was not unusual - but I don't recall that the story ever stopped me from eating at burger joints later. Between the statistical unlikelihood of it, my general refusal to worry about things unless they really do damage or create problems, the hot, sterilizing frying grease in those places, and the amount of nasty, toxic crap that you get in commercially-sold food anyway, I just can't see freaking out about it too much.

      This kid? Forget it. Since he clearly doesn't have any concept of "what goes around comes around", he's just as likely to mindlessly pop into a fast food joint while all this noise is still going on. I can just see the entire crew high-fiving and hooting in the back as bites into that burger...
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8141610].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Benjamin Farthing
        I think the issue here is that taco bell doesn't do much direct response marketing. It's all about branding.

        If I get in my head that Taco Bell employees lick the shells, when I'm driving down the street and crave fast food, I'm going somewhere else.

        (All right, let's be honest. I'm going to Taco Bell because I love Taco Bell. But for the sake of argument...)

        Putting out an ad campaign that makes light of employees licking my food doesn't get that out of my head. I may laugh, but in my mind, Taco Bell's "brand" is still licked shells. When it's decision time, I'm still avoiding Taco Bell.

        I'm not seeing how the prospect of licked food attracts anyone. (Although you may get some drunk frat boys who think it's hilarious and go to Taco Bell for a laugh.)

        VW admitting a lemon works out because that ad catches your attention with old news (lemon), and then tells you how great the new cars are.

        Taco Bell should let it die down. People will forget.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8142282].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
          Banned
          Originally Posted by Benjamin Farthing View Post

          I think the issue here is that taco bell doesn't do much direct response marketing. It's all about branding.

          If I get in my head that Taco Bell employees lick the shells, when I'm driving down the street and crave fast food, I'm going somewhere else.

          (All right, let's be honest. I'm going to Taco Bell because I love Taco Bell. But for the sake of argument...)

          Putting out an ad campaign that makes light of employees licking my food doesn't get that out of my head. I may laugh, but in my mind, Taco Bell's "brand" is still licked shells. When it's decision time, I'm still avoiding Taco Bell.

          I'm not seeing how the prospect of licked food attracts anyone. (Although you may get some drunk frat boys who think it's hilarious and go to Taco Bell for a laugh.)

          VW admitting a lemon works out because that ad catches your attention with old news (lemon), and then tells you how great the new cars are.

          Taco Bell should let it die down. People will forget.
          Dude, I hear you but You - Are - Not - The - Target - Audience.

          You know how old that "lemon" ad is? Bill Bernbach and his partners wrote those in the late Fifties.
          Think Small was an advertising campaign for the Volkswagen Beetle, created by Helmut Krone with the copy written by Julian Koenig[1] at the Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) agency in the 1950s.[2][3] It was ranked as the best advertising campaign of the twentieth century by Ad Age,[2] in a survey of North American advertisements. The campaign has been considered so successful that it "did much more than boost sales and build a lifetime of brand loyalty [...] The ad, and the work of the ad agency behind it, changed the very nature of advertising--from the way it's created to what you see as a consumer today."[4]
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8142327].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Joshua Lowenthal
          Originally Posted by Benjamin Farthing View Post

          I think the issue here is that taco bell doesn't do much direct response marketing. It's all about branding.

          If I get in my head that Taco Bell employees lick the shells, when I'm driving down the street and crave fast food, I'm going somewhere else.

          (All right, let's be honest. I'm going to Taco Bell because I love Taco Bell. But for the sake of argument...)

          Putting out an ad campaign that makes light of employees licking my food doesn't get that out of my head. I may laugh, but in my mind, Taco Bell's "brand" is still licked shells. When it's decision time, I'm still avoiding Taco Bell.

          I'm not seeing how the prospect of licked food attracts anyone. (Although you may get some drunk frat boys who think it's hilarious and go to Taco Bell for a laugh.)

          VW admitting a lemon works out because that ad catches your attention with old news (lemon), and then tells you how great the new cars are.

          Taco Bell should let it die down. People will forget.
          The concept with what I was saying applies to this ideal above. It comes down to Taco Bell reassuring people that this DOESNT happen, by clearly showing the genocide of the shell licking monsters first hand.

          Bounce his head of the counter....toss him out the front door....whistle on the way back to the office with the clipboard.

          Plus even if the audience of the commercial hasn't seen the photo of the taco licker, it is still a reassuring message to the buyer of a product that has a dogma of spitting in the food fears.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8142540].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
            Banned
            Originally Posted by Joshua Lowenthal View Post

            The concept with what I was saying applies to this ideal above. It comes down to Taco Bell reassuring people that this DOESNT happen, by clearly showing the genocide of the shell licking monsters first hand.

            Bounce his head of the counter....toss him out the front door....whistle on the way back to the office with the clipboard.

            Plus even if the audience of the commercial hasn't seen the photo of the taco licker, it is still a reassuring message to the buyer of a product that has a dogma of spitting in the food fears.
            Yeah...I like that. BTW "tongue the taco" is trending at #2 on Google - this thread. LOL.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8142556].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author ParkerArrow
        Originally Posted by bluewatersailor View Post

        I wonder mightily, I do. I suspect you're giving him credit for much more self-awareness than he actually has.

        When I was a young immigrant living in L.A., my first American friends were... from the wrong side of the tracks, let's say. (And I'm damn glad of it, actually; seeing that side of life in the US early on has served me in uncountable ways since, and saved my ass in a number of bad situations.) One of the "friends of a friend" worked in a fast food restaurant - a Wendy's, maybe? - and I remember him boasting about getting revenge on a nasty customer by rubbing the burger patty on his dick before frying it up.

        I didn't spend much time in fast-food restaurants in those days - for one thing, money was so tight that making a chicken last most of a week was not unusual - but I don't recall that the story ever stopped me from eating at burger joints later. Between the statistical unlikelihood of it, my general refusal to worry about things unless they really do damage or create problems, the hot, sterilizing frying grease in those places, and the amount of nasty, toxic crap that you get in commercially-sold food anyway, I just can't see freaking out about it too much.

        This kid? Forget it. Since he clearly doesn't have any concept of "what goes around comes around", he's just as likely to mindlessly pop into a fast food joint while all this noise is still going on. I can just see the entire crew high-fiving and hooting in the back as bites into that burger...

        Great reply, BWS.

        I think Taco Bell should sue his ass. Not for millions, but enough to put the fear of Gozer into the whole brigade of ungrateful hand-biters.
        Signature

        PLR Modifiable Content
        PLRmod.com

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8142961].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    Taco Whacko Tongues the Taco
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8141041].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Taco Bell turned a bad press disaster around in the past,
      Thank You for Suing Us so interesting to see if they can turn this around.

      Best,
      Ewen
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8141140].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author directmaildude
    Yeah, gonna go out on a limb and say that the big wigs at TBell probably won't be using the phrase "Tongue The Taco" anytime soon. Might appeal to women, but for men it just makes our necks hurt.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8142414].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    Guys... you know what's really weird? That idiot Michael Douglas came out two days ago with "Oral sex gave me cancer".

    Now how can we tie that in with "Tongue the taco"?

    uh-oh... think I'm having an acid flashback. I can see the slogan on T-shirts ...under the Taco Bell logo..."Tongue the Taco".
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8142578].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    I got it... we get a Michael Douglas lookalike... saying straight to camera "Tongue the Taco" and he winks... or dies... or morphs into Gordon Gecko with a taco in his mouth.


    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8142584].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jason_V
    So your advice to Taco Bell, would be to give fame to some pimply faced schmuck that landed their company into hot water.

    Which further would encourage the extremely narcissistic demographic work force they have into thinking that perhaps they too could carry out unhygienic shenanigans. Said, shenanigans could also lead them to internet and national fame.

    Is this a joke, or are you actually being serious?
    Signature
    "When you do something exactly wrong, you always turn up something."
    -Andy Warhol
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8142920].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Jason_V View Post

      So your advice to Taco Bell, would be to give fame to some pimply faced schmuck that landed their company into hot water.

      Which further would encourage the extremely narcissistic demographic work force they have into thinking that perhaps they too could carry out unhygienic shenanigans. Said, shenanigans could also lead them to internet and national fame.

      Is this a joke, or are you actually being serious?
      Rather ironic that you should have this quote as your sig -
      If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect.
      -Ben Franklin
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8143152].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Jason_V
        Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post

        Rather ironic that you should have this quote as your sig -
        I fail to see what my signature has to do with the idiocy of glorifying and giving someone fame for doing something so extremely unhygienic and disgusting.

        Should Taco Bell "exploit" this incident as you suggest and if another employee should happen to want to imitate this act (I'm not saying to the letter of what this person did, but rather something in the same spirit), who should happen to do have say, Hepatitis, and a customer or customers, should happen to get it because of this stupidity, now you're looking at multi-million dollar lawsuits.

        For someone who knows the demographics of the customers, you clearly don't know the demographics of the workers. Further, what the consequences of publicly "glorifying" a disgusting act like this truly would lead to from other employees in the hopes of also becoming "internet famous."

        Nor, apparently, do you know the extreme sue happy nature of the United States.

        Edit: I just read where you wrote that this indeed wasn't a real incident. It doesn't matter, my thoughts still stand on the idea of trying to spin something as disgusting as this to a positive.
        Signature
        "When you do something exactly wrong, you always turn up something."
        -Andy Warhol
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8143268].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    Turns out it was all a prank, albeit not one sanctioned by the chain, which has faced a series of P.R. nightmares in recent years. Soon after the photo went viral on Monday, Taco Bell suspended the employee shown licking the tacos and issued a statement explaining that the pose was meant as a joke: The picture was a submission for a photo contest calling for Taco Bell employees to show themselves enjoying the first bite of the product. The company insists the taco shells were “absolutely not” served to customers and were only used for training purposes in March.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8143146].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Don Grace
    Haha! They should bring back the stupid chihuahua and have it say "No me chupo el culo más porque me lame conchas de taco bell"
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8143555].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Don Grace View Post

      Haha! They should bring back the stupid chihuahua and have it say "No me chupo el culo más porque me lame conchas de taco bell"
      "Now if we could just have the chihuahua licking the taco seductively"...that's it...hold that...and now cut to the jerk thats tonguing the stack. N-i-c-e. That's a take.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8146816].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Robert Michael
    So I ask a question and you call me a loser?

    LOL you're a real piece of work, kid
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8145995].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Whos That Guru View Post

      So I ask a question and you call me a loser?

      LOL you're a real piece of work, kid
      "Kid" - the first... can that... second "Laugh Out Loud" I've had today. (sigh... I mean that in a good way - not being snarky - carry on)
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8146047].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Corey Geer
    This kind of stuff happens ALL the time. I browse 4chan a lot (If you don't know what that is, you more than likely don't want to know) and I've seen a lot of people do stuff like this.

    I remember when someone at Burger King was standing on a box of lettuce and then he uploaded a picture taunting 4chan saying "this is the lettuce you eat."

    Within 30 minutes they geo tracked him down, contacted news teams and had them fired the next day. Why people taunt the power of a bunch of anonymous bored teenagers is beyond me...

    Who honestly thinks they're getting quality and well maintained food anyways? I've worked in fast food and this really doesn't disgust me because people do far worse on a regular basis. This is only causing a stir because the media got a hold of it.

    Like a previous poster said, people will forget about it soon and he'll be out of a job soon as well. After all, Taco Bell doesn't usually seek the most intelligent people, they prefer the type of people who would upload a picture like this because they're not usually the people who will reach out for more or ever ask for a raise.

    Complacent idiots make the best employees for crap jobs like this.

    Sales aren't going to take a toll, no one's going to care. That's like the idle threats for Walmart customers who would say "I AM NEVER SHOPPING HERE AGAIN!" Rest assured, you'd see them back the next time they needed something. I've had my fair share of crap jobs, I sincerely doubt Taco Bell or any major chain is going to be hurting just because someone was retarded.

    Where else can you get the foods of the Gods when you're drunk or under the influence? That's a majority of their traffic anyways, when people are drunk and want some tacos/burritos.

    People do stuff like this everywhere, if you truly want to be safe from people doing disgusting things to your food, I wouldn't eat out anywhere... I worked in my fair share of fast food establishments, it's disgusting. A lot of cooks don't wear gloves, follow health and safety, etc.

    Life will go on.
    Signature

    Skype: Coreygeer319

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8146792].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Curtis2011
      Originally Posted by Corey Geer View Post

      This kind of stuff happens ALL the time. I browse 4chan a lot (If you don't know what that is, you more than likely don't want to know) and I've seen a lot of people do stuff like this.

      I remember when someone at Burger King was standing on a box of lettuce and then he uploaded a picture taunting 4chan saying "this is the lettuce you eat."

      Within 30 minutes they geo tracked him down, contacted news teams and had them fired the next day. Why people taunt the power of a bunch of anonymous bored teenagers is beyond me...
      I was in that thread. Lol... epic times were had.

      I was also in the "from Dr Jimmy Rustles" one where somebody got a waitress fired for talking about spitting in customer food.

      ...I spend too much time online :rolleyes:

      Originally Posted by Corey Geer View Post

      Sales aren't going to take a toll, no one's going to care.
      My point to OP was that people would care if they actually heard about it. He was saying that Taco Bell should literally start paying for advertising that says "our employees lick our tacos at work".

      If they put millions into marketing that terrible idea, people would find out about it, and they would care.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8149491].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Warriors
    Eh, I dunno man, when something gets to that level I think you've really got more of a PR issue on your hands than a copy issue. Using it in a cheeky sales campaign would probably provoke serious outrage.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8147124].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Reminds me of the Domino Pizza employee/dumbazz that took a bath in the kitchen sink, then posted the pics online.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8148680].message }}

Trending Topics