The spot drops today, hyping the Cantina Chicken Crispy Taco. (It gets co-star billing in the credits. Must have a great agent.)

The work borrows ingredients from McDonald’s marketing menu by rocking the ever-popular nostalgia vibe, thus following adland’s never-ending “grainy footage” retro trend.

Sure, such prime-time spoofery feels plenty familiar. But everyone loves a good rerun. This one’s nicely done; and as ever with Taco Bell, celebs deliver a satisfying comic crunch.

A swarm of bees chasing LeBron—plus robots? Sounds like a ratings winner to me!

And if you’re thinking marketers lean into sitcom spoofs too often, well, that’s just how the biz rolls. 

Beware the pitfalls of a misspent youth! And we do mean misspent. Because there’s no time like the present to make financial plans for the future.

In a spot that broke on Christmas Day, NerdWallet stages a time-trippy musical set in 2074. That’s a half-century hence, when millennials and Gen Z will account for most of the elderly population.

“Future You” finds seniors bemoaning their monetary regrets. They advise their younger selves to take nothing for granted—and use NerdWallet’s tools and services, of course.

“Hey, it’s me, your future you,
You made some bad money moves…
Now we’re totally screwed!
Didn’t fund your IRA,
Thought NFTs were a better play.
Now you still work at 103,
Your boss hasn’t hit puberty.”

Sondheim it ain’t. But, we can always count on NerdWallet for something different.

Here, the quirky approach from Deutsch L.A. helps the message resonate as Jim Jenkins, a master of commercial comedy, directs with appealingly angsty style. Jury Duty’s Susan Berger and Community’s Patricia Belcher appear among the cast.

The work began running across NFL and NBA coverage, with lots more TV, digital and social outings planned.

Now, take it home, septua- and octogenarians!

“Never got a credit card with rewards,
Now we’ll never see the fjords.
All these places we’ll never go—
Here ISN’T us in Mexico!
Our life could have been very different—
But, hey! Thanks to you it isn’t.
 —Don’t make your future you hate you!”

Yeah, it’s a landline. That’s how we rolled 20 years ago. And the way she says, “Don’t know what to order for dinner, babe?” She sounds so deliciously dismissive. My face started melting, like cheddar cheese on a Volcano Taco slathered with Lava Sauce!

“We’re always listening to our fans, and the extensive passion and needs of the Volcano fanbase could no longer go unmet,” says Taylor Montgomery, U.S. brand CMO. “Taco Bell is always looking to deliver on the ‘surprise’ factor for fans and build on our reputation of choosing authentic partnerships with those who are already mega-fans,” he says. “So, to bring the heat for this major campaign, we called on none other than Paris Hilton—always in-the-know on what’s hot.”

Deutsch L.A. developed the campaign with Hilton’s 11:11 Media company.

Fans can call 1-844-THTS-HOT for pre-recorded messages. Start dialing, babe!

This week’s #BlackTea features VP and director of growth strategy at Deutsch LA, Reonna Johnson. If her accomplished career wasn’t proof enough, Reonna has a commitment to her work, and a passion for community that is evident in everything she does.

She’s got podcasts. She’s founded organizations. She’s working with agencies and companies all over the country to right-size their Black leadership representation. And she’s doing it all before work hours.

Hearing Reonna talk about how she makes time for fifty-leven side projects and a full-time job like it’s no big deal will make you question how many hours are really in a day. We literally couldn’t talk about them all in this episode, but we dig into Three’s A Crowd, In For Thirteen and Hex Code Black, to name a few. Tune in to find out more.

See more episodes of Black Tea at https://musebycl.io/blacktea.

The fact that some people find dealing with numbers scary, especially around investments, loans and insurance, doesn’t add up for the Count.

We’re speaking of the monocled Count Von Count, that numbers-obsessed, Dracula-style denizen of Sesame Street. He lends his cape, fangs and trademark capacity for calculations to ads for NerdWallet from Deutsch LA.

Using such characters holds some risks for marketers. They are iconic and beloved in a way that crosses generational and cultural barriers. They must never seem manipulative, unauthentic or pushy.

Here, the toothy one feels especially on brand. He’s all about digits, after all, and hails from a media property that helps folks increase their knowledge. And NerdWallet provides guidance and products to help smooth out customers’ finances. So, the matchup tallies.

“The brand’s willingness to engage in broader culture has enabled us to creatively stretch the normal boundaries of the category,” says agency CCO Ryan Lehr. “The economy has a lot of people scared about their personal finances. But by framing-up the conversation with Sesame Street’s Count Von Count, it becomes a little less daunting and a bit more fun.”

The :60 will run in cinemas, with edits appearing across TV, digital and social media.

Sink your teeth into some outtakes below:

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by NerdWallet (@nerdwallet)

CREDITS

VP, Brand Marketing: Alison McGlone
Senior Director, Brand Creative: Rob Nikzad
Director, Content Strategy: Christina Cartal
Senior Manager, Brand Marketing: Erin Albertson
Art Director, Brand Creative: Chloe Dalby
Manager, Media Strategy:  Robert Shanahan
Manager, Content Strategy: Justin Sanders
Manager, Content Marketing: Briana Philippe
Senior Manager, Content Marketing: Drew Prescott

Agency: DEUTSCH LA

Creative:
Creative Director:  Max Pollak
Creative Director: Carly Blitz

Production:
Executive Producer: Megan Meloth
Senior Producer: Chris Schaldenbrand

Design:
Design Director: Talin Baharian
Associate Design Director: Karen Pham
Senior Designer: Taryn Oshiro-Wachi

Account:
Group Account Director: Adam Graves
Account Director: Demi Shemesh
Account Supervisor: Carol Carlos

Strategy:
Group Strategy Director: Amanda Shapiro
Strategy Director: Erin Schilissel

Mediahub
SVP, Group Media Director: Ben Abt
VP, Group Media Director: Jen Cahill
SVP, Group Media Director Video Investments: Lisa Benadi
VP, Director Video Investments: Doug Flynn

Business Affairs:
SVP, Director of Business Affairs: Gabriela Farias
Executive Business Affairs Manager: Dorn Reppert
Business Affairs Manager: Eve Traylor

Production: Caviar
Director: Jonathan Krisel
Executive Producer: Tova Dann
Executive Producer: Michael Sagol
Executive Producer: Kim Dellara
Head of Production: Cat Craven-Griffiths
Producer: BP Cooper
Director of Photography: Jeff Waldron
Production Designer: Sam Lisenco

Editorial: Exile
Managing Partner: CL Kumpata
EP: Jennifer Locke
HOP: Michael Miller
Sr. Producer: Taylor S. Rousseau
Editor: Grant Surmi
Cutting Assistant: Kyle Behrens
Assistant Editor: Hans Choi

Finishing/VFX: Shape & Light
Managing/Creative Director: Rob Trent
Lead Flame: Aaron Neitz
Motion Graphics: Wayland Vida
Flame Assist: Austin Lewis 
VFX Producer: Arielle Weir
Executive Producer: Cara Lehr

Color: Apache
Digital Intermediate Colorist: Quinn Alvarez
Color Assistant: Kevin Sian
Senior Producer: Christina Caldwell
Apache Head of Production: Stefanie Schaldenbrand
Apache Executive Producer: LaRue Anderson

Audio Mix: Lime Studios
Audio Mixer: Rohan Young
Audio Mixer: Matt Miller
Audio Assistant: Jeremy Nichols
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan

Music House: Jeremy Turner Studios
Composer: Jeremy Turner Studio
Executive Producer: Skyler Courter
Music Editor: Owen O’Neill

Sesame Workshop
VP, Executive Producer: Sal Perez
Senior Producer: Autumn Zitani
SVP, Curriculum, Content: Rosemarie Truglio, PhD
Director of Content Operations: Emilie Bandy
Sr. Manager, Strategic Partnerships: Amanda Droll
VP of Strategic Partnerships :Jen Ahearn
VP of Marketing & Franchise Management: Sam Kennedy
VP of PR & Publicity: Beatrice Chow
VP, Branded Content: Victor Newman
Audience Development Strategy Director: Nathaniel Nagy
Sr. Counsel, Legal: Jane McGee

The Jim Henson Company
Wrangler: Michelle Hickey
Creative Supervisor :Jason Weber
Senior Production Manager: Melissa Creighton

In March, Doja Cat proclaimed her undying passion for Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza in a tuneful TikTok plea imploring the Yum-owned fast-feeder to reinstate the menu item. Tonight (Sept. 15), Doja and millions of fans will get all their wish—Broadway style!

“Mexican Pizza: The Musical,” a 15-minute extravaganza featuring Doja and Dolly Parton drops live at 8 p.m. ET exclusively on the brand’s TikTok channel.

Doja’s celebration of her 2 a.m. snack staple—crammed with beef and beans between tostada shells, topped by onions, cheese and red sauce—became a national sensation:

@dojacat

 

♬ original sound – Doja Cat

TikToker Victor Kunda tossed in a suggestion for choreography based on Cat’s bouncy beats, and his clip promptly went viral:

@victor.kunda

Mexican Pizza: The Musical by Doja Cat.

♬ original sound – VICTOR KUNDA

Taco Bell got the message and added the dish to its permanent menu, announcing a live show based on Doja and Kunda’s music and moves. Parton, the country music mega-legend, who, it turns out, loves Mexican Pizza too, would headline. Alas, that plan, scheduled for May, crashed when the chain exhausted its supply of pizzas in just a few weeks and subsequently postponed the musical.

But the show, and delish dish, must go on. Both return Thursday, with Dolly supported in the production by Kunda, Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear (who wrote three original songs from a script by Hannah Friedman), Doja (who provides “special moments,” we’re told—it’s unclear if she’ll take the stage), plus various fans and influencers.

Deutsch LA helped create the event, set to hit the boards at an undisclosed NTC theater. The plot revolves around a “harrowing yet epic love story of the fans who fought to bring back the Mexican Pizza, told in a hyperbolic, funny and entertaining way,” per press materials.

Look, it’s got Dolly Parton. Singing about sizzling heaps of spicy, cheesy, saucy, beany goodness. Sounds like a must-see to me!

Below, we chat with Deutsch associate strategy director Sara Singh about project development and what to expect once the virtual curtain rises:

Muse: Take us through how it all came together.

Sara Singh: After Doja Cat posted her “jingle” back in March, which garnered 39.3 million views on TikTok, fans started using the track in all kinds of creative ways. One fan in particular, Victor Kunda, used it to make a spoof video pretending to lead a rehearsal for “Mexican Pizza: The Musical by Doja Cat.” More fans started joining with him by duetting his video, pretending to be part of the show. After seeing that, we knew we had to make this musical a real thing.

How did Dolly get involved?

Dolly is a longtime fan of the brand and has always been vocal about that, especially recently. During an interview with Business Insider, she expressed her love for the Mexican Pizza and asked that it get brought back to the menu. Her story was one fan truth, among many, we portrayed in the musical. She injected her charming personality throughout the experience. She worked closely with Barlow and Bear to make sure their vision for her parts was perfectly executed.

Did the postponement impact the project?

It allowed us to engage even more fans and create a bonus third act with the help of Barlow and Bear to celebrate the return of the item to the menu.

When we watch tonight, what will we see? A fully produced live show with a band, singers and dancers?

We wanted to bring a saga to life in a way that would pay homage to all the fans who were very persistent in letting us know how much they loved and wanted the Mexican Pizza back. So, we created a satirical, self-aware musical that shows what fans did—from trolling every post on Taco Bell’s social accounts for the past two years to creating petitions.

The musical consists of three acts that take us through the story, which is told primarily through song. We follow our lead character, Victor, as he goes on a journey of loss when Mexican Pizza leaves the menu. We see him come together with other fans including Barlow and Bear and a very pissed off “internet” played by 12 ensemble cast members and several real-life Mexican Pizza fans. They’re eventually successful in their efforts and Mexican Pizza returns to the menu forever.

Sounds like a tale of branded triumph, to be sure.

The musical doesn’t take itself too seriously. But the music itself is incredibly written and performed. The three songs are definite earworms.

The scale is different, but comparisons to Skittles’ hour-long Super Bowl musical from 2019 seem inevitable. Can you discuss why doing high-profile live activations music makes sense for Taco Bell?

Fans play an incredibly important role of in defining Taco Bell’s brand identity, and a lot of what we do is in service of those fans. In that sense, the idea was born from our brand ethos. It wasn’t born from “Hey, let’s do a musical and get some PR.” It was born from “Hey, check out this fan [Kunda] with an amazing idea, let’s bring it to life in a big way by putting some of the best talent together to make it great.”

Music has always been a huge part of Taco Bell’s DNA and some of our biggest moments that have resonated in culture have been around music. So, writing and creating a musical was a natural extension of this for us. And bringing the musical as a Live premiere streaming on social media gives us the opportunity to bring fans together in a unique way on a platform in which the idea was born: TikTok.

CREDITS

Client Credits:
Chief Brand Officer: Sean Tresvant
VP, Brand Marketing: Taylor Montgomery
Sr. Director, Brand Creative: Ashley Prollamante
Sr. Manager, Brand Creative: Amanda Barbosa
Sr. Associate Manager, Advertising: Chelle Toulouse
Head Of Social: Nicole Weltman
Associate Manager, Social Media: Erika Prime
Social Media Coordinator: Milo Simpson
Food Consultant: Carolyn Avelino

Agency Credits:

Deutsch LA

Account
Group Account Director: Matt Matzen
Social Account Director: Katy Wellhousen
Account Director: Natalie Brock
Social Partnerships Manager: Racine Drageset
Account Supervisor: Allie Plantery
Account Executive: Daniela Chang
Account Coordinator: Sami Rohde

Creative
Executive Creative Director: Matt Ian
Creative Director: Stephanie Kohnen
Senior Copywriter: Matt Garcia
Senior Art Director: Kevin Descardes
Copywriter: Walker Pfost
Art Director: Ashley Cardwell
Copywriter: Andrews Steel
Art Director: Thomas Raybell

Strategy
Social Strategy Director: Lauren Murphy
Associate Strategy Director: Sara Singh
Social Media Manager: Cat Killedjian

Production:
Executive Producer: Paul Roy
Senior Producer: Lucy Herzog
Producer: Olivia Baker
Social Producer: Joanne Yun

Digital Production:
Digital Producer: Chanel Raquel
Associate Digital Producer: Kristen Escobar

Music:
Music Director: Chip Herter
Music Supervisor: Will Eichler

Business Affairs:
Director of Business Affairs: Gabriela Farias
Executive Business Affairs Manager: Biba Millstein
Business Affairs Manager: Daniel Gerena

The Syndicate: Music Agency
Jon Landman, CEO / Managing Partner
Graham Rothenberg, GM
Jeff Kilgour, SVP / Business Development
Brendan Bourke, Sr. Director of Publicity
Julia Galvin, Director of Marketing

Production:

Stept Studios
Nick Martini – founder / ceo of stept
Mac Hedges – head of production
Brendan Varni – executive producer
Camila Cornelsen – Director / dp
Amy Hillner Larson – Choreographer
Andrea Bernick -Line Producer

Steelhead
Amy Saunders – Head of Post Production & Operations
Heather Stanic – Sr Post Producer
Courtney Kolloff – Post Producer
Monica Arnold – Sr Post Producer
Editor – Winnie Cheung
Assistant Editor – HJ Chong
Director of Motion Graphics – Andrea Senise
Mixer – Cayce Sylvester
Colorist – Brandon Chavez

Nashville Production Company: NOZ Entertainment
Executive Producer – Danny Nozell
Producer – Olly Rowland
Dolly Parton Creative Director – Steve Summers

Music:
Music and Lyrics by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear.
Vocals produced by: Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear, and Juan Ariza
Produced by: Juan Ariza and Emily Bear
Vocal arrangement by: Abigail Barlow

Creative Production & Audio Post:

BUTTER Music and Sound
Executive Producer: Annick Mayer
CCO: Andrew Sherman
Sr Producer: Stone Irr
Final Mix: Robbie Gardunio

Mr. Bronx Audio Post
Audio Post: David Wolfe
Executive Producer: Hanna Choi

Talent Credits:
Abigail Barlow
Emily Bear
Victor Kunda
Dolly Parton
Doja Cat
Hannah Friedman – Playwright
Juan Ariza – Music Composer
Andre Aultmon
Cameron Burke
Janine Hartmann
Allison Walsh
Runako Campbell
Brett Sturgis
Caci Cole Pritchett
Mathew Sakelos
Joy Lynn Pringle
Adam Magnacca
Ashley Robicheaux
Michael B. Wang
Kay Brown
Justin Russell
Zachary Foster
Erin Fitzgerald
William Bradford

Walmart keeps getting more fashionable all the time. And sporty!

For its latest offering, the retail giant and Deutsch LA partnered with clothing designer Michelle Smith (who founded Milly) and SoulCycle star Stacey Griffith to create a women’s activewear and swim brand available across 1,500 stores.

Dubbed “Love & Sports,” the collection boasts 120 colorful pieces—including running and bike shorts, cropped sweatshirts, jackets and leggings, plus one- and two-piece swimsuits—in sizes XS to XXL.

Celebrity couple Smith and Griffith discuss the launch below, stressing the joy of movement and self-expression in sports and fitness, an approach refined in recent years by Nike, among others.

From a brand perspective, body positivity and inclusiveness come to the fore—with an appealing aesthetic twist—as Walmart seeks to expand in a category that’s risen 35 percent to $71 million in the past two years, per NPD Group.  

“People are getting back out now after the pandemic, and we think they’re looking for the comfort of activewear that can be worn at street level,” says Denise Incandela, Walmart EVP, apparel division and private brands.

It’s a crowded field, with competitors ranging from Nike and Lululemon to Target. But Walmart believes a low price point will help it break away from the pack. 

“Love & Sports fills a white space for stylish, high-performance activewear at prices that are accessible,” Smith and Griffith say in a statement. “Our high-performance items are all between $12 and $42 and feature elevated details like metal logo zippers and reflective taping and trim. We built this brand to be optimistic and stand out, with high-energy colors and neons in a vintage, bold aesthetic that make you look and feel great.”

Love & Sports will lean into social to gain traction, leveraging TikTok, Instagram and shoppable IG to spread the word.

“We believe social commerce should have a major role in modern fashion launches,” says Deutsch LA EVP, connections strategy Bennie Reed. “From a business standpoint, these platforms are rapidly advancing their shopping and checkout capabilities, which only strengthens the reason to create a presence and have direct relationships with consumers in these spaces.”

Other Walmart fashion excursions include Sofia Jeans (launched with actress Sofia Vegara), Eloquii Elements, Scoop and Free Assembly.

Love & Sports already plans a line extension, and a special-edition Pride collection will drop in the fall.

Loopy stuff from director Sean Baker, packed with gaudy visuals and broad Sturm und Drang in the Hollywood blockbuster tradition.

“We’ve explored tons of genres for Nacho Fries over the years, but this may be my favorite yet, because it gave our most loyal fans a front-row seat,” says Taco Bell SVP of global brand creative Tracee Larocca.

“This campaign is a great example of how a simple shift in the power dynamics between fans and brands can generate unparalleled results,” adds Deutsch LA creative director Lincoln Lopes. “This idea was born from the belief that brands, no matter how big they are, should be nimble enough to ride culture at its same speed.”

“My favorite part in this fully integrated campaign was the War Room we set up to monitor the thread and brainstorm ideas,” recalls Felipe Machado, also an agency CD. “It took us 48 hours to select and approve the best ones to become a part of the new film. The whole Twitter thread interaction felt like a writer’s room, and it was truly fascinating to see our script coming to life in real time.”

Here’s a “fan cut” featuring the Tweets that informed the scenario:

Hey, that approach feels awfully … familiar. I’ve got a strange feeling I’ve experienced the same effect before. OMG! Are we trapped in an infinite loop, reliving the same commercial over and over and … ?

Wait, no. “Fry Again” just reminds me of this recent ad from Old Navy, where TikTokkers helped write the script, and their comments pop up on screen. Phew!

Client Credits
Chief Brand Officer: Sean Tresvant
Global Brand Creative Director: Tracee Larocca
Sr. Director, Advertising: Ashley Prollamante
Sr. Manager, Advertising: Amanda Barbosa
Sr. Associate Manager, Advertising: Kristen Powell
Associate Manager, Advertising: Eddy Perezic
Associate Manager, Social Media: Madia Aymerich
Social Media Coordinator: Milo Simpson
Food Consultant: Carolyn Avelino

Agency Credits
Deutsch LA
Creative
Executive Creative Director: Bea Danger
Creative Director: Lincoln Lopes
Creative Director: Felipe Machado
Art Director: Heather Patterson
Copywriter: Bo Belanger

Twitter Users
Brittanee Gorman
CarlosGamez
Elizabeth Nelson
Nicole    Price
Jessica Jacobs
Jonathan Yates
Beth Bendl
William    Bradford
Ryan Rezvani
Shaina Rochelle    
Rosario Fong

Account
Group Account Director: Matt Matzen
Account Director: Kelly Childers
Account Supervisor: Natalie Brock
Account Executive: Cindy Lima
Assistant Account Executive: Daniela Chang

Production 
Executive Integrated Producer: Paul Roy
Senior Integrated Producer: Steven Frailey
Integrated Producer: Brittney Hahn
Music Director: Chip Herter
Music Coordinator: Will Eichler

Strategy
Group Strategy Director: Kelsey Karson
Social Strategy Director: Jori Evans
Strategist: Jen Rose
Junior Strategist: Cat Killedjian

Business Affairs
Director of Business Affairs: Gabriela Farias
Executive Business Affairs Manager: Joanna Lee
Business Affairs Manager: Daniel Gerena 

Traffic
Director of Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Senior Broadcast Traffic Manager: Courtney Tylka
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Ana Barraza

Production
Superprime 
Director: Sean Baker 
Executive Producer: Charlotte Woodhead
EP / Head of Production: Casey Wooden
EP / Line Producer: Michaela Johnson 

Juice Film
Executive Producer: Martin Jacobson 
Executive Producer: Carmen Amos
Line Producer: Tina Caldeira

Editorial
Cabin Editorial
Editor: Conor O’Neill
Assistant Editor: Noah Phillips-Edwards
Producer: Gabrielle Page
Managing Director: Suyse Melega

Finishing / VFX
ALT VFX 
VFX Production Manager: Jayce Attewell
2D Supervisor: Matt Chance
Colourist: Ben Eagleton
Executive Producer: Chris Fieldhous
VFX Supervisor: Andrew Hellen
Online and MGFX Artist: Joshua Kell
Production Assistant: Carly Rosenberg
Compositor: Sam Sloan
Senior Compositor: Murray Smallwood
Head of Lighting: Jamie White
Flame Compositor: Scott Wilson 

Color Grade
Co3 Los Angeles
Colorist: Jill Bogdanowicz: Colorist 
Senior Producer, Short Form: Matt Moran
VP, Short Form: Ashley McKim 

Mix House
Lime Studios 
Engineer: Dave Wagg
Engineer: Jeff Malen
Assistant Mixer: Matthew Conzelmann
Assistant Mixer: Meg Ochs: Assistant Mixer
Sound Design: Michael Anastasi
Assistant Mixer: Collin Thomas
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan
Representation: Recca Falborn

It’s standard practice these days to release your Super Bowl ad before the game even starts—pushing the PR engine for all it’s worth, and building fully integrated Super Bowl campaigns instead of just merely airing a spot. This tradition is barely a decade old, though—and it began with Deutsch LA’s “The Force” for Volkswagen in 2011. Hear our panel of experts discuss the heartwarming spot, and how the content and media strategy aligned to produce one of the game’s all-time classics.

Featuring:

• Tiffany Rolfe, Global Chief Creative Officer, R/GA
• Rob Reilly, Global Chief Creative Officer, WPP 
• Tim Nudd, Editor in Chief, The Clio Awards & Muse by Clio
• Tyler Cameron, Television Personality & Model
• Michele Tafoya , NFL Sideline Reporter 
• Daymond John, CEO, FUBU & The Shark Group

See more episodes of our series below:

Always ‘Like a Girl,’ From Online Viral Hit to Super Bowl Champion

The Sad, Somber Hilarity of Monster.com’s ‘When I Grow Up’

Chrysler and Eminem’s Epic Salute to Detroit and Its Auto Industry

The Enduring Charm of Coke’s Mean Joe Greene Ad

The Night Alexa Lost Her Voice but Spoke Louder Than Ever

Eli Manning on His NFL Ad and Those Sweet Dirty Dancing Moves

The NFL’s Epic Super Bowl Ad That Was 100 Years in the Making

When Every Ad Was a #TideAd: How P&G Hijacked the Super Bowl

Nothing but Net: Jordan and Bird’s Epic Showdown for McDonald’s

How Reebok’s Terry Tate Smashed His Way Into Super Bowl History

Cindy Crawford for Pepsi: Two Icons, One Perfect Super Bowl Ad

Budweiser’s ‘Puppy Love’ … the Cutest Super Bowl Ad Ever?

How Doritos and Mountain Dew Created a Rap Battle for the Ages

Betty White and Snickers: A Match Made in Super Bowl Heaven

It’s National Taco Day, the most important twenty-four hours of the year! Naturally, Taco Bell plans to take a humongous bite, both at home and abroad, with help from Deutsch LA.

In the U.S., the fast-feeder ventures onto community platform Discord—which is, after all, exactly like a sandwich—with a dedicated hub, trivia contests and the requisite taco giveaways. By day’s end, a lucky someone gets crowned “Taco Champion.” Who could ask for more?

For global consumption, America included, the chain created “Taco IRL,” inviting fans to message emojis to a special number and receive free tacos.

Hey, everyone’s a champ on Taco Day!

There’s additional outreach across social platforms, plus influencer posts and out-of-home elements, too. All of which you’d expect from a brand that’s proven itself adept at fun, innovative campaigns. Just ask chief impact officer Nas X, and the folks who “invested” in taco NFTs or took a nostalgic flight with the Taco Bell Fry Force.

“Our team is plugged in daily to not only how fans are interacting with the brand online on platforms like Reddit, Discord, TikTok, etc., but also to how they’re behaving on the internet at large,” says Deutsch strategist Karina Azevedo. ” ‘Taco IRL’ was born out of this insight that emojis have evolved into a language of their own. This campaign is our way of redefining the taco emoji in our global markets as a trigger for a Taco Bell craving.”

Same-store sales rose 10 percent in the last quarter. But marketing has mainly focused on the U.S. Now, the Yum! Brands unit looks to get revenue cooking overseas.

CREDITS

Client’s Company Name 
Taco Bell

Assignment: 
National Taco Day 

Social Campaign: 
Online Video, Text and social campaign 

Air Date: 
Pre-National Taco Day – 10/1 – 10/3
National Taco Day – 10/4

Client Credits: 
Marketing, Social Media : Lauren Murphy 
Associate Manager, Social Media: Melly Ramirez
Associate Manager, Social Media: Madia Aymerich 
Sr. Director, Advertising: Ashley Prollamante
Manager, Advertising: Amanda Barbosa
Associate Manager, Advertising: Eddy Perezic

Deutsch Credits and Titles:
Creative Credits: 
Executive Creative Director: Bea Danger
Associate Creative Director: Mike McGuire
Associate Creative Director: Shannon Smith
Art Director: Heather Patterson
Copywriter: Bo Bellinger

Account Management Credits: 
Group Account Director: Sam Speed 
Account Executive: Racine Drageset
Account Coordinator: Jason Rosove 

Strategy Credits: 
Group Strategy Director: Kelsey Karson 
Associate Social Strategy Director: Nef Cooper
Jr. Strategist: Jenny Lee
Community Manager: Cat Killedjian 

Business Affairs/Traffic:
Executive Business Affairs Manager: Ken Rongey

IG Stickers
Taco Bell Design

CREDITS

Client’s Company Name 
Taco Bell

Assignment: 
National Taco Day (International) 

Name/Length of Spots: 
Online Video, Text and social campaign 

Air Date: 
Awareness – 9/27
Redemption/National Taco Day – 10/4

Client Credits: 
Head of Intl. Marketing: Taylor Montgomery 
Senior Marketing Manager, International Marketing Bill Krieger
Manager, International Marketing Jessica Kleinert 

Deutsch Credits and Titles:
Creative Credits: 
Executive Creative Director: Guto Araki 
Creative Director: Daniel Chen
Creative Director: Stephanie Kohnen
Associate Creative Director: Maria Snell
Associate Creative Director: Christian Silva
Copywriter: Amy Char
Design Director: Jean-Lou Renoux
Senior Designer: Jeremy Gozzip

Production Credits:
Executive Producer: Paul Roy
Producer: Mel Case
Senior Creative Technologist Sean Harrington
Executive Producer, Digital Alexandra Psalti 
Senior Producer, Digital Lee Khleang 
Director of Assets and Content John Cluckie
Senior Art Producer Shelly Amin 

Account Management Credits: 
Group Account Director: Matt Matzen 
Managing Director, DLA UK: Allan Cobb 
Account Director: Kelly Childers
Account Executive: Rewdjety Redick
Assistant Account Executive: Chuckie Presto 

Strategy Credits: 
Group Strategy Director: Kelsey Karson 
Strategist: Karina Azevedo

Business Affairs/Traffic:
Executive Business Affairs Manager: Ken Rongey
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Kevin Nickels

GIF Animation & Online Video
Production Company: Anchor Point
Producer: Mike Holm
Director: Brikk
Creative Director: Björn Johansson
Illustration: Björn Johansson, Sonya Filimonova
2D Animation: Redoad Syed, Björn Johansson, Sonya Filimonova, Emil Börner
3D animation: Kristian Andersson, Björn Johansson 
Comp: Björn Johansson

IG Stickers
Taco Bell Design
Senior Brand Solutions Director: Ingrid Sandahl
Director, Project Manager: Lisa Schnitzer
Account Manager: Courtney Pettaway