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Appreciation post: That Taco Bell fire sauce packet scandal last week actually taught me something
Okay so last week Taco Bell had that whole thing where they accidentally sent out a batch of fire sauce packets with a typo that read "FIRE SAUCE - HABANERO" instead of the normal label. People lost their minds on Twitter, some were claiming it was a fake promotional stunt, others said it was just a printing error. Taco Bell responded within 48 hours with a funny apology video and offered free sauce packets to anyone who complained.
But here's what I want to debate: was that a genuine mistake they handled well, or was it a calculated PR move to get free buzz? On one hand, the response was quick and funny and they made it right. On the other hand, the whole thing feels too convenient for a brand that's been kinda quiet lately.
I'm leaning toward genuine screwup because why would they risk looking dumb on purpose? But I've seen other brands pull this kind of "oopsie" marketing before. What do you all think? Has anyone else seen a brand screw up and then turn it into a win too smoothly? Or am I just being too cynical about a sauce packet?
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riveradams10d agoTop Commenter
Those habanero packets appeared on eBay for fifty bucks a pop the same day.
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murphy.linda10d ago
Those eBay listings went up way too fast for that to be a total accident... I'd bet a few employees saw the misprint and grabbed a case before anyone caught it.
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