From The Scoop: The Frito Bandito
From the June 17 issue of Gemstone Publishing's The
Scoop:
Perhaps not as much a "Did You Know?" as a "Do You Remember?," The Frito
Bandito debuted in the late 1960s as the mascot for Frito Lay's popular corn
chip snack, Fritos. The sombrero-wearing, twirled moustached character--drawn by
Tex Avery--seemed to delight fans, as he cropped up in commercials with his own
theme song (sung to the tune of a traditional Spanish folk song, "Cielito
Lindo") and a trademark accent voiced by veteran actor Mel Blanc (famed for
voicing various Warner Bros. characters, including Bugs Bunny).
All seemed to be going well for a while, but Foote, Cone & Belding
Agency, the ad company responsible for the Bandito couldn't have predicted the
maelstrom of protest their mascot would receive.
See, The Frito Bandito (or the Frito bandit, as it were) caught the collective eye of the Mexican Anti-Defamation Committee, who found the character's broken English and thieving nature offensive to the culture he represented. By 1969, Frito Lay pulled all of its commercials featuring the Bandito--but not before airing a one that has become famous for its incorpoartion of current events, showing the Bandito visiting two astronauts on the moon and attempting to siphon Fritos from their food supply.
Ironically, Frito Lay later conducted a survey and found that 92% of Latino viewers polled approved of the character, while only 8% did not.
Today, collectibles featuring The Frito Bandito are quite sought-after. Several were produced during the character's run, including a pinback, a ring, erasers, coloring pencils and a lunch box.
• Produced for the benefit of all who enjoy the hobby of collecting, Gemstone Publishing's The Scoop is available free of charge to anyone who wishes to receive it. To view the latest edition, or to sign up, visit The Scoop online by at http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com.
See, The Frito Bandito (or the Frito bandit, as it were) caught the collective eye of the Mexican Anti-Defamation Committee, who found the character's broken English and thieving nature offensive to the culture he represented. By 1969, Frito Lay pulled all of its commercials featuring the Bandito--but not before airing a one that has become famous for its incorpoartion of current events, showing the Bandito visiting two astronauts on the moon and attempting to siphon Fritos from their food supply.
Ironically, Frito Lay later conducted a survey and found that 92% of Latino viewers polled approved of the character, while only 8% did not.
Today, collectibles featuring The Frito Bandito are quite sought-after. Several were produced during the character's run, including a pinback, a ring, erasers, coloring pencils and a lunch box.
• Produced for the benefit of all who enjoy the hobby of collecting, Gemstone Publishing's The Scoop is available free of charge to anyone who wishes to receive it. To view the latest edition, or to sign up, visit The Scoop online by at http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com.
