THE CHALLENGE

Taco Bell needed to increase both brand relevance and short-term sales in the UK — a market where it had strong awareness but struggled to establish cultural traction. 

Traditional media wasn’t moving the needle. The ask was to create something that would feel locally resonant and genuinely useful to consumers, not just branded noise. To succeed, the idea needed to solve a real consumer challenge while reinforcing the brand’s ambition to matter more in key cultural moments — building affinity with a younger audience and earning consideration in a market dominated by better-known players.

THE STRATEGY

The ask was to build relevance with a younger UK audience, a group who recognized Taco Bell but hadn’t found a reason to choose it. We set out to find a moment where the brand could act meaningfully, not just shout louder. 

We used social listening and trend analysis to map how this audience moved — what they did, where they went, and what they complained about. Late-night behaviours revealed a recurring tension: while the night was alive, the city was shutting down. That tension spiked around live music. Fans left shows still energized and searching for food yet were forced to go home. 

This wasn't just an issue of hunger, but a moment of cultural dissonance. And no brand was stepping in. We mapped that tension to Taco Bell’s brand DNA and built a strategy to meet our audience in the moment their city — and the category — had left behind.

THE EXECUTION

We twinned Taco Bell stores with live music venues and launched to coincide with Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour at Taco Bell Wembley, staying open after the encore, whatever time that was. 

To build up momentum we targeted Swiftys directly through their DMs on Instagram and created OOH installations in key locations around the city and venue. The activation featured curated playlists, exclusive merch, and limited-time food offers —all designed to keep the energy up into the early hours.

In-store, every element was designed for shareability. Guests received branded merch and selected from an Encore Hours menu. They contributed to buzz and conversation; but this wasn’t just a fan moment—it was a business shift. 

After its success in London, Encore Hours expanded to other major tours and markets, including Dua Lipa in Sydney—proving it could scale, adapt, and deliver value wherever music fans gathered.

THE OUTCOME

Encore Hours optimized a critical but previously overlooked pain point for consumers: post-concert hunger with nowhere to go. By staying open later near major venues, Taco Bell became the brand that met fans in the moment others missed. This was more than a campaign — it was a commercial intervention. The activation delivered a 129% lift in sales and a 122% increase in transactions in the UK. By aligning operations to real-world behaviour, Taco Bell created a scalable commercial model, proving that innovation in operations can drive engagement and growth.