The entire US population has a free taco to claim thanks to Cleveland Indians’ shortstop Francisco Lindor and Taco Bell’s ‘Steal a Base, Steal a Taco’ promotion.
The MLB sponsor’s World Series activation is based around a simple promise the nation: ‘If a player steals a base during the World Series, everyone in American gets a free Doritos Locos Taco.’
The 2016 iteration off the campaign, which is hubbed around a web platform at http://tacobell.com/stealabase, was reintroduced with an integrated marketing effort spanning television and online advertising, digital and social media support assets aand a major public relations push.
These campaign assets, which all asked ‘Who Will Be America’s Next Taco Hero?’, were spearheaded by a flagship TV commercial and YouTube spot which was first posted ahead of the Chicago Cubs v Cleveland Indians Fall Classic on 19 October,
supported on the brand’s Twitter feed
If a player steals a base in the #WorldSeries, America gets free #DoritosLocosTacos. Who will be our taco hero? https://t.co/ZxGL0QoJRB pic.twitter.com/cWIxXGHXbl
— Taco Bell (@tacobell) October 20, 2016
and on its Facebook page.
And America didn’t have to wait long for its free lunch.
In the bottom of the first innings of Game 1 on Tuesday 25 October, the Cleveland Indians’ shortstop Francisco Lindor stole second base.
The both the league and the fast food brand’s social channels reacted immediately.
BOOM. Thanks to Lindor’s stolen base, everyone gets FREE #DoritosLocosTacos from @tacobell on Nov. 2 from 2-6pm! https://t.co/G8N1t5ttNY pic.twitter.com/9E6h1C57La
— MLB (@MLB) October 26, 2016
You’re our hero, @Lindor12BC. He stole a base in the #WorldSeries so you get a free taco on 11/2 2-6pm local time. https://t.co/ZxGL0Q7903 pic.twitter.com/KPVY8Mxn2W
— Taco Bell (@tacobell) October 26, 2016
All of America will be treated to a free Doritos Locos Taco on Wednesday, 2 November from 2pm to 600pm (local time) at all participating Taco Bell locations.
Comment
This is the fifth year for Taco Bell’s nationwide initiative: one which aims to engage and reward all baseball fans right across the country – no matter which team they support (see previous case study).
Like all great sponsorship activations….if it works the first time, then why not repeat?
‘Since we first created the “Steal a Base, Steal a Taco” program in 2007, a whole new category of hero has been created in sports: the Taco Hero. It’s an accolade specific to those athletes whose stolen base feat during the World Series has earned them a hallowed place in the hearts of taco lovers across the country,’ trumpets Taco Bell chief marketing officer Marisa Thalberg.
‘We are excited to bring this event back again in the 2016 World Series. We look forward to rooting along with the country in the hopes that a player will manage to ‘steal’ another free taco for America and we will be able to induct a brand new ‘Taco Hero,’ she said at the 2016 campaign launch.
‘The World Series is the biggest stage in baseball and a perfect setting for Taco Bell’s “Steal a Base, Steal a Taco” promotion,’ added MLB EVP Business Noah Garden.
‘Baseball fans will be rooting for their favourite team but free tacos are something we can all agree to rally behind.’
Taco Bell has been an official partner of Major League Baseball since 2004.
This has become one of our favourite annual sponsor activations, but it’s not the only sports property partnership initiative that offers a whole nation giveaway.
Back in 2011, Australian beer brand and national cricket team sponsor Victoria Bitter had to buy a round for the whole country to honour its ‘Shout The Nation’ marketing promise to buy all Aussies a beer if England beat Australia in that year’s cricket Ashes series – an event that acts as a warning beacon to all over confident sports sponsor brands everywhere (see case study).
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