Dive Brief:

• Taco Bell is premiering a one-minute fake film trailer to celebrate the return of its popular Nacho Fries, the company announced.
• "Retrieval," produced with agency Deutsch LA, stars actor James Marsden as a father who investigates why Nacho Fries vanished and where they went. The video is branded under Taco Bell's Las Mas Productions.
• The campaign will include running the spot in movie theaters, printing movie posters and special "For Your Consideration" media kits, Ad Age reported. There is also an IMDb page for the clip, and the trailer will include 15- and 30-second cuts for sharing on social media.

Dive Insight:

For the latest return of the fan favorite menu item, Taco Bell is once again taking a Hollywood-inspired approach for the Nacho Fries' marketing. The fast-food chain debuted the item last year with a similar trailer for a fake conspiracy film "Web of Fries," which starred actor Josh Duhamel and explored why the brand was prevented from offering fries in the first place. The brand debuted a comedic sequel, showcasing Taco Bell's victory over the "Burger People" in the "Franchise Wars" for the Nacho Fries re-launch in July 2018. The campaign was tied to the 25th anniversary of the movie "Demolition Man."

This time around, the fast-food chain is exploring where Nacho Fries keep disappearing to and the lengths that one man will go to bring them back. The dramatic parody should help to drum up excitement for the fries, especially because the brand has only been releasing the item in limited runs to spark a sense of urgency and exclusivity among customers. Taco Bell announced the return of Nacho Fries last week with a "leaked" confidential memo to its team members, also known as "fryologists." In 10 markets, fryologists gave away the menu item for free on Jan. 18 to celebrate Nacho Fries' return.

"Retrieval," the newest trailer in the brand's marketing arsenal, is the latest example of how brands are investing in high-quality video production to mimic Hollywood films and reach a wide fan base online and in theaters. Online video viewers were projected to exceed 200 million in 2018, while video ad spending was expected to grow from $91 billion in 2018 to $103 billion by 2023, according to Forrester predictions. Taco Bell's use of film trailer-style videos is part of the brand's push to stand out with younger consumers, who are most receptive to digital video and are also showing more interest in fast food than older generations.