Following the successful launch of its new Crispy Chicken menu items, Del Taco, the second largest Mexican chain in the U.S., wanted to keep up the momentum and stay ahead of the pack in the fast-casual “chicken wars.” By teaming up with Cholula to create a unique sauce for its crispy chicken menu items, Del Taco saw an opportunity to tap into the brand’s passionate fan base and reputation as the #1 hot sauce in America to reinforce its position as an innovative leader in bold flavors and unbeatable value.
Extending from Del Taco’s funny, hairband-inspired ad campaign, Largemouth took the creativity to another level with an engaging media and influencer campaign to generate excitement and drive sales for Del Taco’s new Cholula Crispy Chicken menu items.
Largemouth brings together Del Taco and Cholula to steal the show
Largemouth launches PR campaign to keep Del Taco ahead in the ‘chicken wars’
Challenge
Ideas
Largemouth built a media relations strategy to introduce Del Taco’s new Crispy Chicken with Cholula Original Hot Sauce menu items, focusing on the $1 Crispy Chicken Cholula Taco and the $5 Epic Cholula Crispy Chicken Burrito, on a national scale and in priority local markets across the Del Taco footprint. The campaign’s overarching goal was to generate awareness and excitement around the new menu items to drive traffic and trial, via drive-thru and delivery, with a priority focus on the Gen Z and young Millennial demographics.
“CRYS///P TYGER” – a fake band starring in a series of spoof music video ads – set the stage for Del Taco to highlight new menu items and reinforce its core brand tenants – fresh ingredients, authentic flavors and value. Largemouth worked with Del Taco to align PR activities with the brand’s creative marketing plans to gain credibility with food influencers, as well as strengthen and expand its customer base.
Largemouth identified media-friendly pitch angles and creative consumer engagement storylines that built on Del Taco’s creative advertising themes to secure earned media coverage and remain top-of-mind among target audiences, offering product sampling opportunities and studio/on-site interviews with the brand.
Largemouth worked with the Del Taco marketing team to develop VIP press kit boxes that included a CRYS///P TYGER tour t-shirt, backstage pass (with a QR code that could be redeemed at the drive-through for product sampling) and a bio to learn more about the band’s origin story and love of “spandex, metal, and all things taco”. The press kit was sent to a targeted list of food business reporters, food bloggers, influencers and YouTube fast food reviewers to introduce them to the new menu items – and by extension – the Del Taco brand – in a highly engaging way.
Impact
Del Taco’s Cholula Menu and creative campaign was featured in CNN Business, MSN Lifestyle, Yahoo! Finance, Thrillist, the Denver Business Journal, SoCal Magazine, and more. The combined reach of national and local coverage totaled 331 million unique viewers per month (UVPM).
