July 31, 2013

"'Coucou, tu as pris le pain?' ('Hi there, have you picked up the bread?') is the campaign’s slogan."

"Modeled on the American advertising campaign 'Got Milk?' the bread slogan was plastered on billboards and inscribed on bread bags in 130 cities around the country."
“Eating habits are changing,” said Bernard Valluis, a co-president of the lobby. “People are too busy or work too late to go to the bakery. Teenagers are skipping breakfast. Now when you see the word ‘coucou,’ we want it to be a reflex for consumers to say to themselves, ‘Ah, I have to buy bread today.' ”
Coucou for Cocoa Puffs bread.

So the French aren't eating so much bread anymore. Too bad. Anyway, I just like knowing that "coucou" means "hi there." Coucou, to American ears, seems insulting. Hi there, by contrast, seems really nice. But it's all in the context...