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In 1967, advertising firm Foote, Cone & Belding created Frito Bandito, an animated Mexican character who stole corn chips.
While designed to sell snacks to mainstream America, the character's ethnic stereotypes sparked protests.
The backlash against the Bandito marked a shift in advertising's approach to cultural representation and ultimately led to the character's retirement.
In a stroke of casting genius that would prove to be both a blessing and a curse, the legendary Mel Blanc, the man behind the voices of Bugs Bunny and Speedy Gonzales, was tapped to bring the Frito Bandito to life.
At Cascade Studios, director Tex Avery had Blanc create a heavily accented Mexican bandit character that straddled humor and cultural insensitivity.
The character's popularity would later clash with growing cultural awareness, sparking heated debates about racial representation in animation.
The Frito Bandito burst onto the scene as a caricature of the Mexican Revolutionary, complete with a sombrero, handlebar mustache, and an accent thicker than a bowl of queso.
Armed with pistols and an insatiable appetite for Fritos corn chips, this pint-sized desperado blazed a trail of snack-related larceny across television screens nationwide.
But as the Bandito's popularity grew, so too did the realization that his portrayal was a far cry from the respectful representation of Mexican culture that a new generation of Americans demanded.
As the 1960s drew to a close, a new breed of activism was taking root in the Mexican-American community, with groups like the National Mexican-American Anti-Defamation Committee (NMAADC) and the Involvement of Mexican-Americans in Gainful Endeavors (IMAGE) leading the charge.
Grassroots advocacy groups challenged Madison Avenue's power, demanding accountability for their persistent use of ethnic stereotypes in advertisements.
These activists targeted the advertising establishment's practice of reducing complex cultural identities to harmful, simplified caricatures.
The Frito Bandito, with his exaggerated accent and criminal proclivities, quickly became a prime target for these advocacy groups, who saw in him a symbol of the disrespect and marginalization that had long plagued their community.
Under pressure from advocacy groups, Frito-Lay modified their Frito Bandito mascot by removing his gold tooth and beard.
After Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 assassination, the company also removed the character's pistols.
These changes tried to resolve growing criticism of the mascot's stereotypical imagery.
In a stunning display of corporate intransigence, Frito-Lay initially dug in its heels, clinging to the Frito Bandito like a drowning man to a life raft.
Armed with a survey purporting to show that 85% of Mexican Americans actually embraced the controversial mascot, the company seemed determined to weather the storm of criticism.
But as the protests and lobbying efforts of advocacy groups like NMAADC and IMAGE gained traction, it became increasingly clear that Bandito's days were numbered.
As the curtain fell on the Frito Bandito, Frito-Lay found itself scrambling to fill the void left by their erstwhile mascot. In a bid to keep the brand fresh and relevant, the company unveiled a new cast of cartoon characters in 1969, led by the rakish W.C. Fritos, a snack-peddling doppelganger of the legendary comedian W.C. Fields.
But the real stars of the show were the Muncha Bunch, a rag-tag group of cowboy outlaws who brought a decidedly different flavor to the Frito-Lay brand.
The new mascots, with their exaggerated designs and slapstick humor, marked a clear break from the Bandito's controversial past.
Facing growing pressure from advocacy groups, Frito-Lay began removing the Frito Bandito from select markets in the early 1970s.
The company officially discontinued the controversial mascot in 1971, marking a shift in advertising toward greater cultural sensitivity.
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