Boston Pizza is promoting its new ribs (and making people angry) by riffing on southern stereotypes
Rednecks are big in pop culture right now, especially on reality TV where rifle-toting swamp-dwellers and “sketti”-slurping pageant kids are stealing airtime from the old lineup of pampered housewives and privileged preteens. Now Boston Pizza, the Vancouver-based pizza, pasta and wings chain, is edging in on the trend with an ad campaign promoting the latest addition to its menu: slow-roasted ribs.
The 30-second spot plays on all the typical redneck stereotypes, featuring a family of dirty, doughy, cross-eyed southerners called the “Ribnecks” who are scarfing ribs outside a dusty backwater home while strumming a gas-can banjo and talking about their shorty pants. Since the campaign, which also includes tagline “Hooo-Weee!” and a $15 “Rib Stain Camo” T-shirt, launched on June 14 the company’s Facebook wall has been inundated with angry messages—some even threatening to boycott the brand. Boston Pizza responded by thanking the angry social media mob for its feedback and offering them the chance to win a $50 gift card if they take a “Guest Satisfaction Survey.”
