The article makes reference to Nandos’ controversial advertising strategy. Discuss the major decisions that the Nandos marketing team made in developing their advertising campaigns.
How Nando’s Champions South African Culture And Cuisine
ASK ANY BRIT what their favorite takeaway spot is and they’re sure to mention Nando’s. Ask them about the origins of
Nando’s menu, and they’ll probably say Portugal. It’s a reasonable answer. Its logo is the Rooster of Barcelos, a famous
Portuguese symbol. The food is seasoned with Portuguese spices and Portuguese bread rolls are among the restaurant’s
many sides. However, to label Nando’s a product of Portugal isn’t strictly true. Nando’s was in fact born in Johannesburg,
South Africa, making this beloved fast-casual spot a mashup between Portuguese and African cuisines. Here’s everything
you need to know about the origins of Nando’s, and its effort to celebrate and support South Africa.
Peri-peri chicken in particular has sparked much debate over its origins. Some say that the Portugese brought the African
bird’s-eye chilli, or peri-peri pepper, to Mozambique from Brazil. Others say it actually first discovered in Zambia and
Zimbabwe and brought back to Portugal. While we may never know the exact origin of this spicy capsicum, we do know that
it flourishes in a Mozambican climate and is an integral part of African cooking. Peri-peri chicken does not only predate
Nando’s, it is the reason that Nando’s exists. It is a dish that is neither intrinsically Portuguese nor African yet its
significance in both cultures is undeniable. The story of peri-peri chicken’s global takeover begins with two friends looking
for a bite to eat.
Back in 1987, two pals visited Chickenland, a so-called “dodgy” takeaway spot in the Johannesburg suburb of Rosettenville.
At that time, South Africa was deeply segregated and it was not common for non-Portuguese people to visit this
neighborhood. Mozambique-born Fernando Duarte (who is white) introduced his friend, Robert Brozin, a Jewish South
African man, to the delights of Portuguese cuisine and Brozin soon fell in love.
Brozin became obsessed with the combination of chicken marinated in peri-peri sauce at Chickenland and knew that the
world had to taste this glorious dish. Eventually, Brozin and Duarte bought the little restaurant and renamed it Nando’s, after
Fernando’s first-born son. In 1993 the Nando’s chain expanded to the UK and as of 2017, there are over 1,000 Nando’s
locations in 35 countries. Nando’s became a celebration of both the Afro-Portuguese community and of South Africa as a
whole.
In Portugal, piri-piri chicken (as it is spelled there) is a popular dish, but far less chili is used to season it, making it a much
milder version than you’ll find in South Africa. To make Nando’s signature peri-peri sauce, the spicy pepper is infused with
salt, garlic, lemon, onion, oil, and vinegar. The chicken is then marinated in the sauce for 24 hours, flame-grilled, and
served at your desired spice level.
Another beloved spicy dish in the southern region of Africa is peri-peri chicken livers, usually served with bread to soak up
all those glorious peri-peri juices, as well as garlic soaked Mozambican peri-peri prawns.There were, of course, a few
challenges for Nando’s before it became the globally recognizable brand it is today. At the time of the restaurant’s inception,
South Africa was in political turmoil under the apartheid regime. The founders had little money and no restaurant
experience, all they knew was that they loved peri-peri chicken. Thus began the start of Nando’s trademark advertising,
which was and continues to be rather controversial.
The aim of Nando’s advertising strategy was not only to highlight its product but to challenge perceptions of South Africa
and to speak to current events in a humorous, tongue-in-cheek fashion. It worked. Nando’s advertising has been both
criticized and praised for being fearless in tackling taboo subjects around race, religion, politics, and sex. Many of its
advertisements have been banned, including one tackling xenophobia, another featuring a puppet modeled after the African
National Congress Youth League then-president Julius Malema, and one mocking Robert Mugabe and other well-known
dictators.
Nando’s consistently addresses pertinent social issues in South Africa. According to Doug Place, chief marketing officer for
Nando’s South Africa, the company is so involved in the country’s politics because no one “loves South Africa like we do.”
Nando’s partnered with the Harambee foundation which aims to solve the youth
committed to supporting African designers and artists. In 2018 Nando’s launched “Portal to Africa,” a curated online
QUESTION TWO
The article makes reference to Nandos’ controversial advertising strategy. Discuss the major decisions that the Nandos
marketing team made in developing their advertising campaigns.
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