2011 Sammy Award Finalist, Best Branded Social Community, Doner for Del Taco
Agency: Doner
Brand: Mexican Restaurant Franchise Del Taco
Executives Involved in The Campaign:
Co-CEO, CCO - Rob Strasberg, SVP, Creative Director - Brian Born, EVP, Creative Director - Chuck Meehan, Copywriter - Josh Eck, Agency Producer - Dan Barbieri, Designer of Facebook Page - Sprokitt, Director - David Horowitz/Mekanism & Chad Einbinder/Moo Studios, Producer - Stef Smith/Mekanism & Rebecca Donaghe/Moo Studios, Production Company - Mekanism & Moo Studios, Editor - Nathan Byrne/Post Millennium, Music - Beacon Street, Art Director - Ensieh Jeldan, Animation Director - Shaun Sewter
Campaign Brief: Del Taco is a challenger brand with only 3% share of voice. Their advertising budget is a fraction of its much larger rival, Taco Bell, where they are outspent 20 to 1. Additionally, as a regional brand, Del Taco restaurants don’t always have the luxury to participate in traditional media support due to budget restrictions.
Their target market, 18-34 year olds, is an audience of fickle eaters whose daily fast-food selection reflects both whim and preference as they regularly sample from a wide list of QSR options.
Del Taco needed a campaign that reached beyond the realm of traditional advertising and engaged its customers at a deeper level to truly set itself apart from its steep competition. And that’s exactly what Doner gave them.
The challenge for Del Taco was to create a real connection with that target audience to increase daily consideration of Del Taco and ultimately change the destiny of the brand. Del Taco needed a campaign that would reinforce key product differentiators allowing the brand to connect with the target’s desire for flavor and indulgences.
The goal was an integrated campaign idea that created a differentiated image in the marketplace making Del Taco the top choice in Mexican QSR with a focus on tacos. The campaign had to be cohesive and tie together via all the various executional elements.
Traditionally, campaigns are centered around TV and radio, while using digital and social networking to support the campaign. Not one for merely following tradition, Del Taco did it the other way around. The entire campaign was centered around Facebook and YouTube. Four minute webisodes were created around each promotional offering which would allow consumers the opportunity to view, vote and pass their favorite bits along to their friends.
The new campaign, The Del Taco Super Special Show, is a late night variety show set in a Del Taco. The host of the show, Wes, is an affable Del Taco employee who introduces skits, conducts interviews and is the ringmaster to the late night insanity. The multi-platform campaign was developed to socialize the brand and extend the Del Taco experience beyond the restaurant – making Del Taco the stage and the food the star.
The Del Taco Super Special Show has proved to be an overwhelming success. Since its launch, Del Taco has grown its Facebook fan-base by 800%, with an online-coupon redemption rate of over 40% (compared to a usual redemption rate of 3-5% from more conventional advo efforts). TV, radio, Twitter, web banners and email blasts prompted viewers to visit Facebook and YouTube to see the show.
Doner created a campaign that went beyond advertising – something that was truly integrated that created a differentiated image in the marketplace that would ultimately make Del Taco a top choice in the Mexican Quick Serve Restaurant.
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