Taco Bell turns bells into free tacos for National Taco Day in new work via Supermassive and Speed
Cult-favourite Mexican-inspired fast food chain Taco Bell has unveiled a nationwide experiential campaign to celebrate National Taco Day (October 7–12), transforming iconic bell sounds into the hero of a week-long, multi-channel marketing activation brought to life with agency partners Supermassive and Speed.
The integrated campaign invites Australians to Shazam the sound of real and digital bells to redeem a free Taco Supreme, bringing the brand’s “hear bells, think tacos” ethos to life.
Iconic bells in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth will have their chimes digitised into tracks, which when Shazamed, will gift a free Taco Supreme.
Complementing the static landmarks, roaming Taco Bell ringers will take over high-footfall areas with mobile billboards with audio bell chimes, creating spontaneous taco moments for passersby.
To engage taco-lovers outside of these major cities, Sydney-based Carillonist Titus Greyner has composed a custom bell melody to be played alongside the human billboards, in stores nationwide throughout the week, with Australians invited to Shazam the tune and head into their local store to redeem.
Andréa Beer, Chief Marketing Officer, Taco Bell Australia, says the campaign is about turning an iconic brand asset into an immersive, rewarding experience for fans: “The sound of our bell is iconic – when Australians hear a chime, we want them to instantly think of Taco Bell. National Taco Day is one of our favourite times of the year, and it felt like the perfect moment to bring that sound to life in a new way.
With live activations across the country, we’re creating a fun, multi-sensory experience that rewards our community with free tacos while putting Taco Bell at the centre of city life.”
Says Adam Smith, Creative Partner at Supermassive: “Pavlov’s Experiment proved the power of sound associations. That a specific noise, like a bell for example, can trigger a conditioned response. Which got us thinking, can we condition Australia to think of Taco Bell every time they hear a bell? You bet we can.
“The team did a brilliant job in hijacking bells and hacking Shazam to create a sampling mechanic only Taco Bell could do. And that’s not even the smartest part. Because even after the promo ends we know bike bells, school bells, even church bells will be driving Aussies in store for a delicious Taco Supreme.”
The campaign launched on October 7 and runs for seven days, combining experiential, and digital touchpoints to drive awareness, foot traffic, and social sharing around National Taco Day.