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Steve’s breakdown: Ever since the new CMO got in there, the place has been crazy. In fact, just in February we reported: Taco Bell is Acting Loco: Other IPG Agencies Should Pitch. What’s different this time is they want someone new and probably out of network. Select Resources International is handling the review.
IRVINE, CA: The account has ping-ponged from DraftFCB to R/GA and back again in the course of a few years, and now the company is seeking a new shop for digital. DraftFCB will continue to handle broadcast, merchandising, multicultural and media for the fast feeder, which recently launched the tagline Live Mas. Taco Bell parent Yum Brands did not return requests for comment. SRI International is handing the review.
“In an effort to enrich their digital efforts in e-commerce and other technologically significant areas, Taco Bell will be partnering with an additional and yet-to-be-disclosed specialized digital agency,” said a DraftFCB spokeswoman in a statement. “DraftFCB, Orange County, will still be responsible for providing strategic direction and ongoing creative ideas for Taco Bell’s digital business.”
In October, Taco Bell appointed former Pizza Hut CMO Brian Niccol chief marketing and innovation officer to bolster sluggish sales. Online ordering has been a priority in pizza quick-service for years, and in June, before Mr. Niccol’s departure, Pizza Hut hired Interpublic’s Huge to handle e-commerce.
Taco Bell spent $250 million on U.S. measured media in 2011, according to Kantar Media. The chain is looking to Doritos Locos Tacos to spur sales this spring after some declines. The new menu item has been called its biggest product launch ever.
