Checkers Sixty60 Runs Semi Ambush Ad Through Mexico City During Fifa Host Events

Perhaps that’s because there’s quite a bit of nastiness hanging in the air of one of the host countries – no prizes for guessing which one – where, if the sky-high price scalping doesn’t get you, then the immigration authorities certainly will.

There are probably thousands who have opted not to go – or to travel to Mexico and Canada instead – because they couldn’t be bothered with cleaning up their social media feeds of any perceived lack of praise for Donald Trump…

And, of course, jumping into any sort of marketing and promotion related to the Fifa spectacle runs the risk of calling down the wrath of the legal gods from Switzerland if you haven’t paid an arm and a leg to become one of the sponsors.

Sixty60 serves up nostalgia with a side of Boer-rito

That hasn’t deterred Checkers and its Sixty60 delivery product, though, as they’ve rolled out another one of their semi-ambush ads, by having a Sixty60 delivery guy roaring through the streets of one of the host cities, Mexico City.

They did a similar thing a few years back with a Rugby World Cup in France.

Still, this time around, they’ve managed to rope in Bafana hero Siphiwe Tshabalala who, back in the 2010 opening game, scored the first goal of the tournament held on African soil… and against Mexico.

Never mind that the Mexicans bounced right back to equalise, this was the dream start to beat all dream starts.

It gave many the belief that the Rainbow Nation was real and we could do anything we wanted. Of course, that was before Jacob Zuma stepped up and said: Hold my beer…

This time around, the idea of Sixty60 still works, especially with the new twist of convincing a Mexican street food seller to come up with the “Boer-rito”.

It’s colourful, it’s clever and it’s got just a pinch of the “those were the good old days” nostalgia, all the while reminding people that Sixty60 is there to deliver whatever you need to make your World Cup binge watching even more memorable.

So, once again, Checkers: Orchids all round.

"Humans welcome"... but make it make sense?

Marketing clevers will often tell you that for your ad to hit home, it has to be anchored on a “basic human truth.” If it is, so the logic goes, then your customer/target market will instantly get your point because it will be, innately, part of them.

Well, yes and no.

I saw what I consider an example of no when I recently saw the “forgot your name” ad for Liberty. It features two women greeting each other in a supermarket, like long-lost friends.

“We must do coffee some time” is the parting shot, leaving one of them totally confused wondering “who was that?”

It’s occasions like this, the ad wisely tells us, where “humans” can feel “awkward”.

But, not to worry, Liberty accepts all people, because “Humans welcome”.

Say what? It goes on to clarify that Liberty is “in it with you”, adding “all of u”.

What on earth does that mean? That you’re somehow sub-optimal because you get “awkward” – but that, don’t worry, we’ll accept you with all your faults?

Insurance companies are not your big all loveable granny or auntie. They’re there to make money out of you and it’s not a great way to start a relationship by pointing out your client has faults or is just ordinary like everyone else.

How that persuades someone to entrust their financial future to you is beyond me. Maybe I’m too normal for Liberty.

When it comes to marketing, a confused or downright illogical message – how does this make you a customer? – will get you an Onion every time.

So, step forward to accept yours, Liberty. Nothing to feel awkward about.