Dive Brief:
- Taco Bell is taking a crack at hosting a tech developer-style conference to announce new products and partnerships coming down the pike in 2024, per a press release.
- Live Más Live will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 9, the Friday heading into Super Bowl LVIII weekend. The gathering will be livestreamed beginning at 1 p.m. PT with a broadcast featuring offers for the QSR’s rewards members.
- Those on the ground in Vegas can expect musical performances, celebrity cameos and hands-on access to new innovations and the culinary minds behind the brand’s menu. The concept extends Taco Bell’s ongoing efforts to position itself as a lifestyle brand that fans follow closely at the drive-thru and beyond.
Dive Insight:
Salesforce has Dreamforce, Apple has WWDC. Can a fast food chain replicate the buzz that comes off tech developer conferences that double as lively in-person confabs and stages to announce major new products?
Taco Bell is catering Live Más Live to diehard fans in the hopes that the show will make a splash. Taco Bell Rewards Members that are in the program’s Fire! tier can apply for access to Live Más Live, hotel accommodations and travel vouchers as part of the app’s Tuesday Drops on Jan. 16. Top members will also receive an email later in January with another opportunity to secure a spot. Meet-and-greets, live performances and the chance to taste test yet-to-be-released menu items are some of the activities on tap.
The event fits with the Yum Brands marketer’s history of high-concept experiences, which have previously included a hotel themed to celebrate all things Taco Bell and touring drag brunches.
“Live Más LIVE is about showing up in a way this brand has never shown up before. It’s about transparency, access and celebration for who we are as a brand and who we do it for, our biggest fans,” said Sean Tresvant, who became Taco Bell CEO on Jan. 1 after a stint as the global chief brand officer. “2024 marks a new beginning for Taco Bell and we can’t wait to show everyone what we have in store for this year and beyond.”
Taco Bell’s announcement comes in the thick of CES, an annual Vegas show where companies preview their latest tech bells and whistles. Live Más Live lands ahead of the Super Bowl, potentially priming the QSR for a big game campaign. Super Bowl LVIII will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas on Feb. 11, marking the first time the city has hosted the NFL championship.
Taco Bell returned to Super Bowl advertising in 2022 after a five-year hiatus but was absent from last year’s broadcast. Mtn Dew’s Baja Blast, a beverage originally introduced as a Taco Bell exclusive and one that remains closely associated with the restaurant, is confirmed to be running a Super Bowl spot this year while keeping mum on whether it will be co-branded.
Vegas has become an important destination for Taco Bell. The city has the company’s flagship Cantina location, a premium store concept that holds events like brand-themed weddings.
