Burger King makes a big oopsie

Where were the adults while the children at Crispin Porter & Bogusky were creating a Burger King ad campaign even more idiotic than the usual? The scary, plastic-faced King is esthetically bad. But dissing Hispanics is offensively bad. And dumb, marketing-wise. Why would a fast-food chain buy into a negative stereotype and alienate so many potential customers? The stupid... it HURTS.

The current and soon-to-be-pulled campaign features a tall, gringo cowboy and his sidekick, a short, squat Hispanic wrestler hombre wearing a costume that resembles a Mexican flag.

How this politically incorrect campaign ever saw the light of day is a mystery. The premise, that BK makes burgers that have "a little Mexican," hardly excuses the use of a dwarf Hispanic wrestler to make the point. The agency that spawned it may have used creative from their London office, where, one might assume, there is less exposure to anti-Hispanic rhetoric than there is this side of the Pond. And it's playing only in Europe, so maybe they thought it didn't matter. But hey, there are Hispanic people in Europe, too.