The new Shaabola chips show that once again, Egyptian popular singer Shaaban Abdel Rehim seems to be right on top of the marketing game, lending his name to a product that fits his image perfectly, according to Cairo Live.
The cheese-flavored chips mark the second time Abdel Rehim has been a spokesman for food products.
Earlier this year he sang the jingle for Mc Donald’s new McFelafel sandwich, and ended up embroiling the hamburger giant in a PR contest with Israeli lobby groups that argued that an American company should not use a known Israel hater as its spokesman. The ads soon stopped running, and Abdel Rehim has since said he would sue McDonald's for a LE250,000 breach of contract violation, according to the Egyptian dailies.
Abdel Rehim has been dubbed the icon of contemporary popular music, for better or worse. Intellectuals argue that Abdel Rehim reflects the "pulse of the man in the street".
Ana Bakrah Israel (I Hate Israel), Abdel Rehim’s hit heard round the world, has been credited with much more than just fanning the flames of Arab public opinion.
His song Amrika ya Amrika" is a “baladi” chant urging the US to re-think its foreign policy, and convince its bosom buddy Israel to make peace with the region.
There's also a song about mad cow disease that starts with the line "Even the cows have gone mad..." and ends with "now the duck wags his tail, and thinks he's Hercules..." – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
