Why Taco Bell Canada Wants Fans To 'Get Messy'

Taco Bell has had some pretty creative marketing strategies. Take the "Taco IRL" campaign, which allowed fans to turn taco emojis into an offer for real-life tacos when texted to a special phone number on a certain day, per The Drum. There was also the time on May 4, 2021, when the sky was lit by a taco-esque half moon, that Taco Bell started its first global campaign granting customers a free taco during late night hours. The giveaway was part of the "I See a Taco" promotion, which encouraged Taco Bell fans to picture tacos in all half-circle images, including Dumbledore's eyeglasses (via Marketing Dive). 

Geared toward fans of Taco Bell Canada, the brand is back with another innovative marketing campaign: the "Beautiful Mess" initiative. The company's first national marketing endeavor in the country encourages Canadians to embrace "their authentically beautiful selves," a press release explains, "in a world full of idealized products and people."

Taco Bell Canada's "Beautiful Mess" marketing campaign, which began on March 7, celebrates the messiness of tacos and other Taco Bell products. In a YouTube spot, dripping sauces, collapsing crunchy shells, and cascading toppings are meant to nod to the messiness of everyday life, especially for young people. Taco Bell will be collaborating with social media influencers throughout 2022 in an effort to encourage customers, whom marketing specialists said "are just so themselves in everything they do," to share stories about their "messy" experiences.

In the promotional video for the "Beautiful Mess" initiative, also available on Instagram, young people make a mess with tacos while they study, try on outfits, and even get tattoos. The video closes with the mantra, "All the things that make us messy make us beautiful." Fans took to the Instagram comments with plenty of fire and heart-eyed emojis, plus feedback like, "we're all a beautiful mess" and "embrace the messy."