When Taco Bell launched its Nacho-flavoured Doritos Locos Tacos (or DLT as they’re now know) in the U.S in 2012, Canadian consumers had to wait a full year before they got their hands on one. Then last year, when a second Doritos flavour – Cool Ranch – hit the market, Canadians were again told to wait. Many took to social media to complain.
@TacoBellCanada I had the #DLT today! Amazing! When can we expect for the Cool Ranch Dorito to arrive in Canada? pic.twitter.com/apXdbWPxUV
— Emilio Cortez (@EmilioCortez1) September 5, 2013
And now that Canadian Taco Bell fans are finally able to buy a Cool Ranch DLT, Taco Bell is playing another waiting game.
“We didn’t anticipate what a sensation [Cool Ranch DLT’s] would be,” says Veronica Castillo, marketing manager for Taco Bell Canada, which gave the Cool Ranch DLTs a test run earlier this year. “With each campaign, we gather feedback from our social media channels. In this case, we know that since we launched the Locos Tacos, our Canadian fans have been begging for them,” says Castillo.
Grip Ltd., Taco Bell Canada’s agency of record, has a strong background in social media marketing – the agency is one of Facebook’s “preferred marketing developers,” and knows how to tap a fan base for some viral fun.
This time around, it believed it had just the solution for Taco Bell’s young and predominantly male target audience – an arcade game that simulates waiting in line called “The Waiting Game.” A classic arcade cabinet was placed outside a Taco Bell restaurant where consumers were invited to play for a chance to win free DLTs.
The arcade concept made sense because “Taco Bell has a strong association with gamers,” said Trev Gourley, the Grip copywriter for the campaign
The stunt was filmed and made into a long-form digital ad, which in turn was shortened for one of two on-air spots.
Grip has also developed a second, more informative spot to spread the news about the product to consumers, as well as an ad unit for Twitch, the live streaming website focused on videogaming, in a further attempt to access young gamers.
