Taco Bell has found a different way to enter the soccer conversation: creating soccer boots whose cleats are, precisely, Mexican cleats. The brand has presented a limited edition drop in which the studs on the sole reproduce the shape of its most iconic product, in an action that plays with the double meaning between the vocabulary of football and the universe of restaurants.
The campaign, developed under the concept “Without cleats there is no football”, arrives in a summer marked by competition and by the saturation of brand messages around sport. Faced with this context, Taco Bell has opted for an idea as absurd as it is immediate: if soccer is played with tacos, theirs could also be shaped like Taco Bell tacos.
The boots have been designed as a real product, although they are not intended to improve sports performance
As part of the campaign, designed by Fuego Camina Conmigo, the boots have been designed as a real product, although they are not designed to improve sports performance. The brand itself defines them as “horrible for playing football, perfect for enjoying it.” Additionally, each sole stud includes a code redeemable for free studs for a year, reinforcing the link between the collector’s item, the campaign, and the consumer experience.
To present the launch, Taco Bell has had Pablo Alfaro, one of the most sanctioned players in LaLiga history, with more than 120 yellow and red cards. His choice connects directly with the tone of the campaign and with a very recognizable expression within football: play with the tacos in front.
The brand uses that reference to build an action that seeks notoriety, humor and appropriation of a massive conversation.
“We all remember a pair of boots. At Taco we present some that no one will forget. At a time of many advertising impacts, Taco Bell wants to be relevant by doing something relevant for people. We wanted to give away a groundbreaking campaign. A daring action that puts Taco Bell on the map”said Beltrán Romero de Lecea, Brand Manager of Taco Bell, in a statement.
Taco Bell boots have been designed and handcrafted together with the YYPLUSPLUS studio, which studied the morphology of the Taco Bell heel to create a modular system adapted to sports footwear.
From that initial phase, the project progressed with 3D modeling, resin printing, curing, sanding and painting. Each sole lug was designed and produced independently, including engraving of the redemption code. The final assembly was carried out by an artisan shoemaker, making each boot a unique piece.
The brand has enabled two ways to get the limited edition boots. The first is activated through Instagram: users must follow @tacobellspain, “like” the official publication and mention a friend in the comments. The second way is in the Taco Bell app, where a special banner has been incorporated to participate in the raffle.
The participation period will be open until June 27. With this, Taco Bell unites the logic of the limited drop with the promotional mechanics and the generation of traffic to its own channels.
