The copywriter should probably be arrested This ad for Ortega has been making the rounds on gossip sites for a few weeks now, but we'd be remiss if we didn't share such a high-water mark in the exploitation of young Olympians. I mean, come on, are we really supposed to believe that no one who wrote, directed, appeared in or approved the ad realized that by saying, "It makes my taco pop!", 16-year-old gymnast Shawn Johnson was going to become a laughingstock? A friend of mine pointed out that if the taco-pop line was so vital to the script, why couldn't one of the two male gymnasts say it? In the end, I have a feeling this was just one of those cases where everyone involved under age 30 kept their mouths shut, suppressed their giggles, and failed to muster the courage to say, "You know, Mr. Ortega, there's a teeny, tiny chance this line might get misinterpreted." —Posted by David Griner

September 29, 2008 in Griner, Olympics, Ortega | Permalink

Comments

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No one over 30 got the reference?

Now that's a shocker.

Posted by: Ike | Sep 29, 2008 12:24:02 PM

When I saw her say that, my taco almost popped. I see a great future for "taco pop":

- What a taco popping good time!
- That was taco poppingly fun!
- Lemme get a lick of that taco pop.
- When I saw that, I almost popped my taco.

Excellent work, clueless Taco Bell agency.

Posted by: Jeremy Greenfield | Sep 29, 2008 12:48:54 PM

It's really hard for me to imagine that no one got the "taco pop", though maybe it was written by the CEO's mother and no one dared question it. Maybe it's part of her recipe collection: "To make your taco pop, add 1 T. taco sauce to 1 lb. taco meat, knead until well combined..."

I suppose it might have got past editing because of the absolutely flat, toneless delivery of the line. "It. Makes my. Taco. Pop. Braaaiiiinnnsssssss..."

Posted by: Warren | Sep 29, 2008 2:56:29 PM

Ah, that's funny. Sure, not a single person involved with this knew that there could be an alternate meaning to this, yeah right? It's just a matter of whether the people that did kept their mouths shut out of fear of knocking someones "brilliant idea" or if this was all orchestrated on purpose.

Posted by: Duh Only | Sep 29, 2008 4:06:36 PM

I'm guessing it came from Ortega (possibly the CEO's mom). The writer(s) attempted something more witty and without the innuendo...only to have the client insist on it being there. So, they said "f" it. Pop my taco it is. And went out for happy hour.

Posted by: Tacolicious | Sep 29, 2008 5:15:30 PM

Definitely a subversive copywriter. And the way she's the meat in that Hamm sandwich? No coincidence! Come on!

Posted by: Nathan Alexander | Sep 29, 2008 5:43:29 PM

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