Stephen Osman | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Calavo in Santa Paula is working overtime to process guacamole to fill orders for the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Still, Copic said the tease ad the brand posted online maybe “isn’t fast-enough paced” and risks “losing people along the way. The core message of the fat from avocados is healthy comes way late in the spot.”
The spot — the fruit group’s third-consecutive Super Bowl ad appearance — was unveiled this week with a Jon Lovitz teaser and a longer version although it will be edited down to 30 seconds come Sunday. The longer version runs more than a minute and doesn’t reference the Avocados From Mexico brand until later in the ad.
“It’s clear that they have run away from the fact these are avocados from Mexico,” said Frankel. “This could just as well be an ad from the avocado commission of California.”
Storyboards for the avocados ad were prepared over the summer well before Trump won the election. That said, the Mexican brand had the opportunity to change course since it wasn’t shot until December.
It’s also worth noting that sometimes political or controversial ads get rejected by the network or the National Football League. Indeed, that was the case this year with a spot from first-time advertiser 84 Lumber showing images of immigrants and a border wall. Fox rejected the lumber company’s ad.
A 30-second spot for this year’s Super Bowl runs about $5 million, according to Adweek.
Meantime, Luque isn’t hiding from the notion that avocados of other origins might benefit on the brand’s dime.
