Taco Bell Leverages World Cup Emotions with 'Emotional Support Taco' Campaign
Taco Bell announced the launch of a global marketing initiative called 'Loss Or Celebration Outcome Support' (L.O.C.O.S.), designed to tap into the emotional highs and lows of major sports events like the World Cup. Through gamified reward experiences within its mobile app and various offline events, the campaign aims to engage consumers and boost brand loyalty. The initiative runs until July 13, with plans to expand to other cultural and sporting events after the tournament.
Brief Overview
- Taco Bell is launching a new initiative aimed at leveraging the emotional swings of cultural and sporting events like the World Cup, and driving engagement with its mobile app through gamified rewards experiences. According to a press release, the program, called "Loss Or Celebration Outcome Support" ("L.O.C.O.S." for short), will run through July 13. Taco Bell Rewards members can participate in personalized, gamified experiences within the app to win merchandise, free food, and other prizes.
- Different markets will host in-person events at key World Cup moments, including giveaways, taco trucks, and delivery services. Taco Bell plans to expand the program to other cultural and sporting events after July.
Deep Dive
The global "L.O.C.O.S." campaign comes as Taco Bell's parent company, Yum Brands, continues its efforts to embed the chain in pop culture to strengthen its popular loyalty program and digital infrastructure. Building a platform around the emotional highs and lows of major sporting events like the World Cup offers the brand a way to connect with consumers regardless of the game's outcome, while tapping into the event without being an official sponsor.
Fan communities, especially sports fans, have become a popular target for marketers looking to connect with culture. The existing communities formed around things like sports provide brands with a target audience bonded by shared interests.
Beyond the mobile component, in-person events are largely timed to key tournament moments. On June 25, the brand will host events in New York and Los Angeles, coinciding with the U.S. team's final group-stage match against Turkey. Taco Bell's event in London on June 27 falls on the same day as England's match against Panama. Other markets include Spain, Brazil, Australia, and Canada.
"L.O.C.O.S. transforms existing fan behavior into a global platform, giving Taco Bell a bold new way to show up for fans at the moments they care about most," Taco Bell's global chief brand officer, Taylor Montgomery, said in press materials.
Taco Bell is seeking to expand its loyalty program after first-quarter loyalty sales grew 30% year over year. Yum Brands' digital sales for the quarter were nearly $11 billion, with digital penetration rising to 63%. Yum Brands CEO and director Christopher Turner said on an investor call that expanding the loyalty program is a key part of growing the company's digital business.
According to financial reports, Yum Brands' first-quarter sales grew 6%, with Taco Bell's same-store sales up 8%, leading the broader QSR industry.