Last night I dropped by a friend’s house to catch a little bit of the Bama vs. Texas Championship game. (Congrat’s to all you Bama fans!) While there, a TV commercial came on advertising Taco Bell’s Fresco menu, which supposedly contains less fat than the rest of their menu items. As we watched, my friend (who also is currently trying to get back in shape), was trying to figure out if it was a real commercial, or if Taco Bell was being sarcastic. Turns out, they’re “for real.”
That was just last night, and already one of my crew guys asked me today in the process of choosing our lunch spot, “Have you seen the Taco Bell commercial about the new healthy menu?” Wow…word travels fast! Advertising works, huh?
Or does it?
Watch for yourself, then continue reading…
It doesn’t take a lot of thought to find the craziness of this commercial. Last night after we saw it, and my friend started talking about it, I immediately asked him if he saw any of the fine print at the bottom of the screen. Thanks to DVR, we simply rewound the commercial and read each word. It’s easy to catch…if you’re paying attention. Feel free to go back and watch it again and read for yourself.
Besides, if you’re interested in losing weight, why not do a little research and put together a plan? The purpose of this commercial was not for Taco Bell to try to change your order when you visit their restaurant. The agenda is to get you to consider them as an option when you’re making your restaurant choices. If you’re looking for healthy food and trying to get in shape, Taco Bell would now like to be included in your options. But if you’re really trying to get in shape, it won’t take much research to discover that Taco Bell probably shouldn’t be in the running. If that commercial inspired you to eat more healthy, that’s awesome, but don’t let the people who just want your money do your thinking for you. She lost 54 lbs. in two years, (according to the fine print). 54 lbs? That’s about 2 lbs. a month! How is that so amazing??
I could go on and on…
Every day the average mind, (including yours), takes in an average of over 3,000 messages and advertisements. That’d be cool if they were healthy and added value to our lives. Or if we were all decently aware of how easy it is to be deceived. The problem is, we aren’t. We don’t question. We don’t search. We don’t even pay attention. And over and over again we believe lies, and ended up wasting money, or way worse, harming ourselves.
I know, some of you think I’m being ridiculous and am making a big deal out of nothing. Is all of this deception really dangerous? Or at the end of the day, does it end up not mattering? I think it does matter. Maybe if you’re in good shape, splurging at Taco Bell on a Fresco Burrito won’t have much of an impact. But what if someone’s doctor told them they seriously need to get in shape to improve their health? What if that same person got home, sat on the couch, turned on the TV, and watched this ad? What if that person then changed their daily lunch choice to the menu in the commercial? What if that person’s doctor was right, and this person’s unhealthy eating habits posed serious threats to their well-being? All of a sudden, it’s a big deal.
But the big deal isn’t Taco Bell. Ultimately, you can’t hold them responsible. The big deal is that you and I make stupid decisions every day, all because we let someone else do our thinking for us, and influence the way we spend our time and our money. I know that ordering a taco is a small decision, but 5 or 6 small decisions a day make up the way we live our lives, and how we live matters.
Discovering the lies hidden in advertising simply scratches the surface when it comes to how we’re deceived. But let’s spend some time in future posts looking at some other ads, and seriously considering the impact they have on you, your friends, and your world.
Have you been deceived? Wait, let me try again…
How have you been deceived?
Tags: authenticity, bama vs. texas, bj harris, Christian Illusionist, christian magician, deception, deception in advertising, diet lies, false advertising, false diets, Harris, harris iii, illusionist, lies, lies in advertising, Lies in TV Commercials, taco bell, taco bell diet, taco bell fresco menu, weight loss
This truth really goes to another level if you have children watching TV or viewing advertising of any kind. The level of deceptive and very influential advertising geared directly to children is overwhelming and their minds and hearts are much more impressionable. It isn’t just food. Although marketing pop tarts as part of a healthy breakfast does make me laugh.
[...] recently blogged about the Dangerous Deception of Taco Bell, and used their newest commercial to illustrate how deceptive advertising can be, and the lasting, [...]
Advertising is a scandalous business. In this ad for example, in the before picture you get a clear shot of her mid section showing a stomach that many girls would not be happy showing off. In the after shot she is sitting in tall grass with her arm across her body. I find many before and afters to be sketchy in advertising. Usually the before pictures makes a person look as horrible as possible (unflattering cloths, no make up, no smile) and the after pictures are a total mirage (make up, happy faces, confidence). This is especially true of gym/exercise products and complexion meds. There is my two cents… keep the change!
Derek – I could agree more! The whole thing is kind of funny.
Thanks for commenting!