Minute Maid’s Highly Target Ad Towards Hispanics, Latinos, Latinx, and Everybody Else They Think Falls Under Those Labels

Marketers are always looking for groups of people they can target their products to – audiences.

How do you find an audience? You look for people with a shared something. Shared interests, hobbies, beliefs. Shared history and shared identity.

Once you find that audience, you advertise to them with something they can all agree on. If the ad speaks to them, you’ll get them to emotionally connect with your brand. They might not buy today, but they are more likely to buy later.

This ad from Minute Maid is for a Latinx audience. It’s about a Latina teenage girl bringing her adolescent Latino boyfriend to meet her giant Latina family for the first time. At a big party nonetheless, with everyone in the family watching as they enter this private family space.

As soon as they enter, the music stops. They are sized up by everyone. Defenses are up. Joy recedes into the background. The young Latina and her Latino paramour are approached by the patriarch of the family – her grandpa or oldest living male who can still assert his will over others – he stares the boy down with scuritny.

He then bursts into a big smile and gives the boy a glass of Minute Maid Berry Juice Mix, and he’s officially part of the family. The party reawakens bigger than ever with this new member added to the family.

When you watch this ad, it just screams “OH MY GOD! WE’RE LATINO! AND YOU SHOULD DRINK MINUTE MAID!” And please read that in your head with an accent.

Pain Points & How This Ad Emotionally Reels Me In

I’ve been obsessing this ad for months now. And it’s because…

Confession time: I work in marketing. I’m a copywriter. I know about advertising and selling in print, selling with words. I don’t like to talk about it all the time, but it’s how I pay my bills.

Because of that skill, I can’t watch a commercial and not want to break it down and take it apart. Years of doing improv and analyzing scene after scene also honed that instinct in me.

What are Pain Points? Pain Points are the emotional targets advertisers aim for when selling you something. They target that emotion, connect with you over it, and make it easier to sell you something.

For example, those Snickers “Hungry?” Ads where we see someone not behaving like themselves, usually played by someone physically and characteristically not them (and maybe a celebrity) are telling you that when you’re hungry, you’re not yourself, and a quick bite from Snickers can put you back to normal. Boom – Problem Solved!

Danny Trejo was born to play Marsha Brady.

Latinx Pain Points

The Minute Maid “Welcome to the Family” ad touches on all a lot of Latino Pain Points.

What is the Latinx Pain Point here? Family. Being accepted by the familia, ese! Well, more specifically, being accepted by the family of a partner.

When you’re Latinx, meeting a partner’s family is a big deal. You’re going to be vetted right away.

You’re allowed to join the family, but you’re membership is conditional, pending on you being approved by the leaders of the family. There’s no way around it. Once the family leaders accept you however – in this case, the grandpa – you’re in. I can’t say all Latinx families are like that, but I know a good deal that are.

This ad – whether you like it or note, a choice I am wrestling with – speaks to its audience. That’s why I’ve been obsessing over it – how do I deal with this ad? So I’m going to deal with it like I deal with so many things – by finding the humor in it and turning it into a sketch!

Minute Maid Parody Sketch For National Sketch Writing Month

It’s National Sketch Writing Month – sketch comedians all across the company are challenged to write a fresh sketch every day in honor of our artform.

So with that being said, here’s my pitch for a parody of this ad freaking ad targeting Latinx peoples’ unbreakable bonds with their families (for better or worse!).

*These beats are going to be superquick. Watching the Minute Maid Ad at the top will make this a lot easier. It’s only 15 seconds! Check it out!

Beat 1

EXT. A CARNE ASADA IN A LATINX NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HASN’T BEEN GENTRIFIED YET. FAMILY AND FRIENDS ONLY.

Enter JULIO and DIANA, a teenage couple, to her ABUELO’S monthly Gonzalez Carne Asada. The Carne Asada stops. Everyone looks at Julio and Diana.

Abuelo sizes up Julio. Abuelo is the same as in the Minute Maid Ad.

Abuelo smiles, hugs both, and signals for the party to begin again.

Announcer V/O: For Those Family Firsts, Drink Minute Maid.

Beat 2

INT. DIANA’S BEDROOM IN HER PARENTS HOUSE

Cut to Senior Year of High School. Julio and Diana lay in bed about to lose their virginity to each other.

Diana: I’ve been waiting for this a long time, Julio.

Julio: Yeah, me too. I’m so nervous.

Diana: It’s okay to be nervous. I’m nervous too.

Julio: What would your abuelo think.

ENTER ABUELO.

Abuelo is suddenly in front of them at their bed. Wearing the same Salmon Guayabera, khaki shorts, Panama Hat, and holding a glass of Minute Maid. He looks at them with intense scrutiny. They pull back in fear.

Suddenly, a big smile overcomes him, he hugs them both, and then we see the entire family is in the room having a Carne Asada. The party resumes. Abuelo hands Julio a Minute Maid.

Announcer V/O: For Those Family Firsts, Drink Minute Maid.

Beat 3

INT. JULIO AND DIANA’S HOUSE IN THE FUTURE

Cut to 20 years in the future after Julio and Diana got married, had three kids, and bought a house in the suburbs.

Julio: Look, maybe Dr. Watson is right, maybe a trial seperation is right.

Diana: Cut with the fucking bullshit, Julio. Just say what you want. Say you want a…

Julio: Divorce. Fuck! What would your abuelo think…RIP.

Diana walks over to a picture of her abuelo on her kitchen counter from the first time they met. They both look sad.

Suddenly, the room shakes and thundering in comes the GHOST OF ABUELO. He looks pissed.

Julio and Diana don’t know what to do as the Ghost of Abuelo’s specter comes closer. The Ghost of Abuelo then smiles and hugs them both, taking their spirits out of their bodies and taking them to a Carne Asada in Heaven where they are greeted by the rest of their family, who all died at a previous Carne Asada. They suddenly return back to Earth before the Ghost of Abuelos whispers, “For those family firsts, Drink Minute Maid.”

Diana: What the hell was that?

Julio: I don’t know! But I’m dumping out all the Minute Maid and buying Tampico!

Announcer V/O: Tampico! Because we respect your personal space.

FIN.

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