How a Family-Owned Tamale Shop in LA Struck Marketing Gold Using AI

Do you know the best place to land if you accidentally fall out of a plane?

This scenario is the basis for a now mega-viral meme made by The Original Tamale Company, a family-run small business in Los Angeles, with a little help from ChatGPT.

The 46-second social media spot has been viewed more than 22 million times in about three weeks and has 1.2 million likes. Celebrities like sports analyst Emmanuel Acho, professional boxer Emiliano Vargas, and “Queen of the South” actor Peter Gadiot, have commented on the post.

It’s the kind of advertising win that once was the sole purview of marketing agencies or established influencers, but is now possible for anyone with access to an AI chatbot and a social media feed. For restaurants, which often have razor-thin margins, a big hit can make all the difference.

“I made it in 10 minutes, posted it, and it blew up,” Christian Ortega, who oversees marketing for his family’s tamale shop, told Business Insider. “We gained so many followers from just that one video.”

The video shows a man falling out of an airplane without a parachute and plummeting to Earth. A narrator calmly shares some questionable advice about what one should do in this situation. It suggests, for starters, avoiding landing in a body of water.

“The thing is, water doesn’t compress well, and you’ll be falling at over 200 miles per hour. The impact feels the same as hitting concrete,” the narrator says.

As the man rapidly descends, the narrator suggests an alternative landing spot. “For example, The Original Tamale Company,” the narrator says.

The PSA-style video then transforms into a digital ad for the restaurant, complete with B-roll showing its tamales and other menu items.

“God i love good ads,” one person wrote in the comments.

‘I don’t see AI as anything bad. I see it as a tool.’

The Original Tamale Company operates in Pacoima, a neighborhood nestled in the San Fernando Valley. Ortega, the owner’s nephew, said his family has been in the food business for nearly three decades.

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“I basically grew into it,” he told Business Insider. “I started on the front lines selling tamales at farmers’ markets and doing big events.”

Ortega said he’s always been creative and enjoys making videos, so managing the restaurant’s social media accounts felt like a natural fit.

Although he posts original content, some of his videos leverage popular memes or trends. The viral ad, posted in July, is a version of a meme that had been going around.

“If I see an idea that I know really clicks with the company or with the audience, I will make something as soon as possible and post that,” Ortega said.

Ortega said it’s important, however, that brands put their personal spin on the ad. He said you must ask yourself, “How can I make that work for my business?”

Ortega relied partially on AI to create the video, including the narrator’s voice and a script written by ChatGPT. However, Ortega typically tries to strike a balance between using AI and his own skills. Sometimes, he doesn’t use AI at all.

“I get how people are like, ‘AI is sucking out all your creative processing,'” Ortega said. “I don’t see AI as anything bad. I see it as a tool, and it definitely helps speed up the process.”

Ortega said the viral video has resulted in increased business at his family’s restaurant.

“We’ve had customers come and talk about the video and say that’s the only reason they came because it made them laugh,” he said. “And also because they looked at the reviews, and many people rave about the tamales!”

“It’s very fun,” he added. “Especially working with the family.”