Advertiser: TACO BELL
Agency: SPARKSMG
Category: Retail and E-Commerce, including Restaurants
Senior Vice President/Managing Director: Brent Lux (Starcom MediaVest Group)
Vice President/Director: Jaclyn Sinclair (Starcom MediaVest Group)
Associate Media Director: Cody Gundrum (Starcom MediaVest Group)
Strategy
The launch of Taco Bell’s next big thing, the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco, needed a media plan that packed some punch and crunch. With the number of Cool Ranch Doritos lovers less than half the number of Nacho Cheese lovers, improving Taco Bell’s most successful launch in 50+ years would not be easy. The launch needed to be bigger and better for Cool Ranch sales to surpass the 375 million Nacho Cheese tacos sold in 2012. Without the novelty of last year’s launch, we had to reinvigorate Doritos Locos lover’s excitement. We also needed to give closet cool ranch lovers something talk about. Tactics would need to seed consumers’ anticipation and generate buzz; then blow people’s minds with a “full on” multi-media approach. Create the ultimate brand integration across various media platforms.
Execution
Media execution centered on enhancing the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco launch with BIG media placements. This meant engaging the consumer in unexpected spaces and encouraging them to share their excitement about the launch. Tentpole media platforms included a live Twitter-enabled outdoor video board in Times Square; a 3D cinema ad that ran within major motion picture movie premiers; and brand integrations on major social platforms, including a sponsorship of the Live Fan Page experience for the finale of ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars and a custom integration that provided an all-access experience for viewers during the MTV Movie Awards. But the program didn’t stop there; a fully-integrated campaign was launched across TV, digital, and streaming radio to capitalize on the anticipation and demand of the CR DLT.
Effectiveness
There is no way to top the biggest product launch in Taco Bell’s history, right? Wrong. Buzz and demand created for Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos far exceeded Taco Bell’s expectations and the launch sales are outpacing last year’s Nacho Cheese launch. When compared to the Nacho Cheese launch, Cool Ranch sales have increased by double digits, which is unheard of in a declining fast food category. Sales from Cool Ranch Tacos are stimulating the U.S. economy and are expected to create more than 15,000 new Taco Bell jobs due to the demand.