Dive Brief:
- Taco Bell is bringing back its "Steal a Game, Steal a Taco" promotion for the 2018 NBA Finals, where consumers can receive a free Doritos Locos taco the first time a road team wins during the tournament, a news release announced.
- The NBA Finals begin May 31. If a road team wins Game 1, 2 or 3, U.S. consumers will get a free taco on June 13 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. local time at participating Taco Bell locations. Alternatively, if a road team wins Game 4, 5, 6 or 7, free tacos will be available on June 20 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at certain locations.
- Taco Bell launched "Steal a Game, Steal a Taco" in 2016 when the Golden State Warriors won Game 4 of the Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The promotion continued last year when the Warriors stole Game 3 in Cleveland. The brand has also partnered with Major League Baseball on a similar promotion, "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco," for several years.
Dive Insight:
Taco Bell is again trying to ride excitement around the NBA Finals and rally fan interest with the chance to win free tacos. This year's promotion doesn't appear to have any digital extra elements to enhance the buzz and keep consumers excited, however, and going forward Taco Bell might need to freshen up the campaign with new features.
The current promotion might also feel stale given more innovative approaches recently taken by the fast-food chain. It added social media elements and a series of short videos to support its sixth iteration of the "Steal a Base" campaign with MLB last fall, for example. The videos featured bright graphics and flying tacos, resembling the type of content users frequently create in messaging apps like Instagram and Snapchat.
Taco Bell has made several moves lately aimed at growing its e-commerce and mobile business. The company restructured its C-suite earlier this year to help it position itself as a digital leader among quick-service restaurants, which are broadly attempting to ramp up innovation. The taco chain also announced several new technology initiatives including self-service kiosks, more delivery options and improved back-of-house systems.
