- Amazon launched a public relations project called Ratatouille 3 years ago, according to a report from Bloomberg.
- The project, inspired by the hit Disney film, was created to boost Amazon's image in France, sources told Bloomberg.
For the past three years, Amazon has been trying to appeal to citizens of France through an internal project called "Ratatouille," Bloomberg reported.
Despite Amazon investing over 16 billion euros into supporting local innovation and infrastructure in France, the company doesn't enjoy the same popularity in France as it does in Germany or the UK, Bloomberg said.
Amazon also has faced with various controversies in France over the past several years, including temporarily suspending operations in 2020 when a judge ruled that the company had failed to protect workers from COVID-19.
Amazon's Ratatouille project is a combination of a dozen or so sub-projects that are aimed at "Frenchifying" the company, Bloomberg said, citing a source who requested anonymity.
Last month, Amazon attended a popular farming fair in Paris where it had a booth highlighting local food producers, Bloomberg said. In 2021, the e-commerce giant opened and promoted an online storefront showcasing French-made products, Bloomberg said, adding that a source said the store generated few sales.
The company also paid for a study, published in March, that surveyed shop owners in northeastern France on how an Amazon warehouse would impact their business. An overwhelming majority of respondents — 84% — perceived a neutral impact, Bloomberg said.
Ratatouille, a term for a summer vegetable stew from southeastern France that came about in the 19th century, marked itself in popular culture as the name of a 2007 hit Disney film featuring a French rat with culinary aspirations, who also excels at making the dish. Amazon's project was reportedly inspired by the film, Bloomberg said.
But Amazon is also taking a page from the playbook of McDonald's, another corporation that has invested into currying favor with the French. McDonald's bettered its image in France by making deals with local farmers and modifying its menus to the French palette, Bloomberg said.
Amazon did not immediately respond to Insider's request for a comment.