Re-imagining Cape Town as… Tijuana!

Sombreros off to McDonalds who have re-branded a fleet of Cape Town taxis in gaudy Mexican apparel. Olè! This is guerilla marketing at its cheekiest and cheesiest. The kind of thing Nando’s used to do before they hired Pieter Dirk Uys to slag off the ANC in a desperately unfunny Option B gag involving the initials of the party.

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Reminds me of that old chestnut of the dyslexic freedom fighter who joined the CNA. Is Evita the roast chicken revenge on ANC Northern Cape Premier Sylvia Lucas who famously blew R50K on the opposition (KFC) last year?

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Just as Cape Town becomes World Design Capital 2014, McDonalds re-imagines the city as Tijuana, paying taxi owners R1300 a month to become moving billboards and an extra R500 to wear a sombrero on the roof. Taxis are iconic totems of a city – think the Black Cabs of London and the Yellow Cabs of New York.  Clearly the economic focus has switched from BRICS to MINT and Cape Town designers have yet to learn that design, like charity, begins at home.

But as for moi, rather than eat processed food at McDonalds, I’ll chow down on Venezuelan tapas at Orinoco (above) at 17 Bree Street as it’s half price on Tuesdays. Big drama in the kitchen as chef Migdalia tried to sort out accommodation for four Venezuelan students in town for six months to learn English. They’re sharing a room in the Bo-Kaap at the minute for $400/month/pp full board, in a strictly halaal household and had escaped for some half-priced re-fried beans and Caipirinhas. Capetonians to contact Migdalia if they can beat the current offer.