Taco Bell Will Use the Moon as Your Signal for a Free Taco

Taco Bell wants to turn a certain phase of the lunar cycle into the fast food fan’s equivalent of the Bat Signal. See a half moon in the sky? That’s your cue to spring into action—and get free grub. In its first global campaign, the Southern California-based chain is launching the stunt on May 4, giving away its signature crunchy tacos to consumers in the U.S. and more than 20 other markets around the world. The Yum Brands chain is using that night's visible half moon—which looks like a taco's distinctive shape, if you squint hard enough—as a celestial hook to dole out more free food than Taco Bell has ever given away in a single promotion. And while the brand takes pains to say in press materials that it “does not claim to own copyrights to a lunar phase,” it “stands behind the fact that this really does look like a Taco Bell taco.” You can check out the brand imagery below and decide for yourself. “We’re using the world’s biggest billboard—the moon—as a storyteller,” Nikki Lawson, Taco Bell’s global chief brand officer, told Adweek. “It gives us the perfect device to leverage the distinctiveness and rebelliousness of the brand and tie it to something relevant in the culture. And it’s universal.” "Taco Moon" celebrates the company’s growth into 32 international markets, with Malaysia and Indonesia being the most recent additions. It now counts about 7,500 stores around the world on the way to an expected 10,000 locations in the next decade. The stunt also kicks off an umbrella campaign with the tagline, “I See a Taco,” that will continue to roll out in the coming months. The ongoing work, from agency Deutsch LA, will revolve around consumers spotting some passable likenesses of the chain’s famous menu item as they go about their everyday lives. The lunar-themed promo isn’t much of a stretch, Lawson said, when considering the challenges of the past pandemic-plagued year. “Like a lot of people, we’ve been gazing into the sky for inspiration,” she said. “The full moon is so majestic, but the half moon really looks like a taco. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.” The full moon is so majestic, but the half moon really looks like a taco. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.Nikki Lawson, Taco Bell The program is also a way for Taco Bell to try to solidify some taco rituals in other parts of the world that don’t yet have the American mainstays like Taco Tuesday and Cinco de Mayo, she said. Consumers in the U.S. will be able to score a free taco between 8 p.m. and midnight Pacific or all day via the app or online. Fans in nearly two dozen markets, among them Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, India, Australia and the U.K., can take advantage of customized local offers. “Taco Moon,” which taps into a decades-long fascination with space themes in advertising, will run on social and digital platforms. It’s also the latest attention-grabbing piece of marketing from Taco Bell, lauded in recent years for its pop-up hotel and resort in Palm Springs, its permanent wedding chapel in Las Vegas and its recently opened digital-only cantina in New York’s Times Square. CREDITS: Client: Taco BellHead of International Marketing: Taylor MontgomerySenior Director of Advertising: Ashley Prollamante International Marketing Manager: Jessica Kleinert Associate Manager, Brand Experience: Eddy PerezicAssociate Manager, Social Media: Erika PrimeSocial Media Strategist: Lauren Freund Agency: Deutsch LAExecutive Creative Director: Guto Araki Creative Director: Stephanie KohnenCreative Director: Daniel ChenSenior Art Director: Karter KrasseltCopywriter: Ryan SiepertDesign Director: Jean-Lou Renoux Designer: Jeremy GozzipDirector of Assets and Content: John Cluckie Executive Producer: Paul RoySenior Producer: Chris Schaldenbrand Senior Art Producer: Shelly Amin Producer: Mel Case Associate Producer: Lexie Curatolo Music Director: Chip HerterMusic Coordinator: Will Eichler Account Management Credits: Group Account Director: Matt Matzen Account Director: Kelly Childers Account Supervisor: Kaley BarenkampSenior Account Executive: Kristen EngasserAccount Executive: Rewdjety Redick Assistant Account Executive: Chuckie Presto Account Planning: Group Planning Director: Kelsey KarsonAssociate Strategy Director, Social: Lauren Murphy Junior Strategist: Karina Azevedo Business Affairs/Traffic: Executive Business Affairs Manager: Ken Rongey Production: Steelhead

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Taco Bell's First Global Campaign Uses the Moon as Your Signal for a Free Taco

The May 4 giveaway in the U.S. and 20 global markets is timed to the half-moon

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