Edgy mun2 campaign gets mixed results from Young Latinos.

Humor can be an effective way to reach young acculturated Hispanics, but using stereotypes can backfire, suggest the results of new market research conducted by New American Dimensions.

The campaign in question was launched by NBC – owned Hispanic cable channel mun2 which asks its target audience of English speaking Latinos the question: “Are you becoming too gringo?” The research examined the reactions of Hispanic respondents between the ages of 14 to 30 to three mun2 television spots which prescribe a daily dose of mun2 for Hispanics that are becoming too acculturated.

One mun2 spot (Fences) features two Latinos who are unable to jump a fence while pursuing two people who have stolen an ornament from their truck. A voice-over asks: “Is your gringo diet killing your Latin skills?” The ad presents mun2 as the solution for Hispanics who have lost their ability to scale fences. In another spot (White House), a Latino teen daydreams that he is president of the U.S. and facing an impending missile attack. A voiceover suggests “Instead of dreaming about war, dream about nice things.” With the help of mun2, the teenager modifies his fantasy, envisioning himself as a gardener trimming hedges. In a third spot (Game Show), a Latino contestant on a game show guesses that France is in Minnesota and that Rio de Janeiro is near Kansas. A voice-over asks: “Are you becoming too gringo? Does the rest of the world not exist for you?” After a dose of mun2, the young man proudly answers that the Eiffel Tower is located in Guadalajara.

As a point of comparison, 21 to 30 year old respondents were asked to evaluate a Bud Light commercial featuring comedian Carlos Mencia, who attempts to teach a classroom of immigrants who speak broken English how to ask for a Bud Light. Though stereotypical in its depiction of immigrants, the Mencia ad garnered numerous accolades when it debuted during this year’s Super Bowl.

The study consisted of a quantitative survey of 357 U.S. born and acculturated 1st generation Latinos (generation “1.5”) and 34 qualitative in-depth interviews. Some highlights were:

– Only a minority of respondents found the mun2 ads humorous. 45% used “funny” to describe the Fences ad, compared to 36% and 30% for the White House and Game Show ads respectively. As a comparison, 75% rated the Mencia commercial as “funny”

– About 35% described the humor used in both the Fences and the White House ads as “inappropriate” and about 20% described the ads as “offensive”. In one-on-one interviews, many connected the fence jumping to illegal immigration and saw it as insulting to Hispanics. Others were offended by the implication that Hispanics should not dream of being president, but should instead focus on occupations like gardening. Many did not like the use of the word “gringo” in the ads. By contrast, only 9% felt the Mencia ad was “offensive.”

– While about a quarter of respondents said they loved the mun2 ads, a quarter strongly disliked them. On a 1 to 10 scale, the Fences ad was the favorite of the three garnering an average rating of 5.92. The White House and Game Show commercials got an average rating of 5.35 and 5.12 respectively. The Bud Light ad was much more popular. Its average rating was 7.58; half said they loved it and only 6% said they hated it.

– Overall, the ads lowered many respondents’ previously favorable impressions of mun2. 34% gave the network a “very positive” rating before seeing the ads; the score fell to 17% after seeing the ads. Prior to seeing the ads, only 2% of respondents had a negative impression of mun2; this rose to 24% after seeing the ads.

“Connecting with young, bilingual Hispanics is tricky and few have yet to crack the code.” said David Morse, President and CEO of New American Dimensions, which provides customized multicultural consumer research. “Racy ads can be risky business, especially when they employ ethnic stereotypes. Many saw the Bud Light ad as stereotypical, but respondents liked it because they found it funny. They were less forgiving with the mun2 commercials.”

To view the research results including video clips that capture typical respondent reactions, CLICK on link below: http://www.newamericandimensions.com/adtest.htm>