This is one of my favorite Lebanese ads.
Teta Latifa, a typical Lebanese grandmother (Teta means Grandma in the Lebanese dialect) and the main character in this ad, tries to convince the security officers at Charles De Gaulle Airport to let her take more than the specified allowance of liquids in her carry-on by telling them how delicious it is. She uses different persuasion techniques by explaining that these were for her grandchild in Canada and that if the officer tries them he would understand why she absolutely must take them.
“Yalla”, means “come on”, or “Let’s go”, or sometimes it may mean “it’s ok” depending on the intonation, like in this ad.
“Autre fois”, is a funny literal translation for a Lebanese expression that means “next time.” However, in French, the right expression is “La prochaine fois.”
The fact that Teta Latifa is adamant on speaking a constructed Lebanese-French dialect with the French security officer is the ultimate representation of the influence of the French culture on the Lebanese people. Most Lebanese are trilingual and fluent in French. Many French words are no longer considered French, but have been completely assimilated to the Lebanese language, such as : Bonjour, Bonsoir, Merci, ca va etc…
A typical Lebanese greeting would use the three languages in one sentence: Hi Kifik (for a girl) , ca va? (Hi, how are you? are you ok?)
Yalla, autre fois, the tag line from the ad became so successful that i believe it earned its inclusion into Lebanese pop culture. Like Nike, Just Do It, Taanayel brand became associated with two phrases: “Yalla, autre fois” , and “c’est de la pure”, which means “it’s pure.”
In fact, my mother uses the latter sentence to convince me to try something that she had cooked for me when i am home on vacation. She would say: “goute, c’est de la pure,” (taste it, it’s pure) in reference to the ad and to the fact that what she cooked is pure and therefore i have to try it. Just like the dairy products that Teta Latifa is carrying are pure and therefore she must take them to her grandson in Canada.
This ad resonates really well with the reality of the situation in Lebanon. With the increasing rates of immigration, more people need to travel to reunite with their families abroad. The ad mentions Canada where a large Lebanese community exists.
The character is also a representation of the generosity of the Lebanese grandmother figure, same as the maternal figure, who is always concerned with feeding and nurturing.Teta Latifa offers to prepare a sandwich (tartine in French) for the security officer to let him try the taste of these products. Even when he confiscates the precious dairy products she is carrying, she regretted not having brought enough for the rest of the staff. And the finale, is the memorable tag line, “Yalla, autre fois,” meaning that next time, she will bring enough for the rest of the security officers.
Out of Lebanon 