Taco Bell's new billboard dispenses nacho cheese

Dive Brief:

Taco Bell Canada is debuting a billboard that dispenses nacho cheese, referred to as the "Cheesiest Billboard," to celebrate the launch of its Nacho Cheese Naked Chicken Chalupa, which features a shell made from crispy chicken, according to a press release.
The billboard will go live on Jan. 19 next to Taco Bell's flagship Queen West location in Toronto.
Fans are encouraged to visit the billboard and bring any item they want to add cheese to. At the activation, Taco Bell will also hand out a limited number of free samples of the new chalupa menu item.

Dive Insight:

Taco Bell Canada is setting out to prove that everything is better with nacho cheese. The novelty of the "Cheesiest Billboard" activation and giving fans the chance to give their favorite snacks the "ultimate nacho cheese upgrade" will likely attract media attention and prompt visitors to share there experiences on social media, which could drive sales of the new menu item and extend the campaign's reach beyond those near the Toronto billboard.

Out-of-home (OOH) marketing, such as the new Taco Bell Canada campaign, can boost customer loyalty by 275%, perception of brand quality by 106% and brand trust by 24%, when marketers devote 15% or more of their media budgets to the format, according to IPG's OOH division Rapport. Billboards have been a successful marketing tactic for decades, but Taco Bell is demonstrating how brands can modernize these traditional displays by incorporating interactive elements and in-person activations. These efforts can help to drive unique, memorable experiences among consumers and deepen their emotional connections to the fast-food brand.

The "Cheesiest Billboard" is the latest in a long line of stunts from Taco Bell, which is vying to attract Gen Z consumers, who are showing slightly more interest in fast food than older generations. Taco Bell in November "hijacked" the Big Ben clock tower in London to celebrate new restaurant locations opening in the city. The famous tower has been under construction and silent for more than a year. Taco Bell worked with a sound engineer to compose the chimes using parametric speakers in the surrounding area to recreate the famous Taco Bell bell toll. The chain also unveiled CrunchWrapping Paper for holiday gift wrap and the Baja Blast Hair Salon offering blue dye jobs in previous marketing stunts last year.

In a similar billboard-themed activation, ESPN recently ran a contest called "Who's In," which featured a group of college football superfans camping out atop a 45-foot high billboard for a promotion around the National Championship Game. Each participant represented one of the four semifinal teams and were eliminated as their team lost. The campaign was livestreamed on ESPN's digital channels, and fan engagement was encouraged to drum up further excitement around the sports broadcaster.