Taco Bell is capitalizing on its fanbase’s nostalgia yet again with the creation of a face-off voting challenge between two defunct favorite menu items: the double decker taco and the Enchirito. Voting is open to all Taco Bell Rewards members from Sept. 27-Oct. 6 and the winner will be announced on Oct. 7 and available as an LTO.
The double decker taco was first introduced to the brand in 1995, and then it became a permanent menu item in 2006 before disappearing from Taco Bell menus in 2019. The hybrid taco is made of a soft tortilla layered with beans and then wrapped around a traditional crunchy taco filled with beef, lettuce and cheese.
The Enchirito meanwhile was first introduced to Taco Bell more than 50 years and departed in 2013: its name is an amalgamation of enchilada and burrito, and the item is made with a soft tortilla filled with beef, beans, onions, rolled up like a burrito and topped with melted cheese and a classic enchilada red sauce.
“On the heels of the love and passion we saw for Mexican Pizza, we wanted to continue elevating the voices of our most loyal fans by giving them exclusive access to a uniquely digital experience that fosters brand love,” Sean Tresvant, Taco Bell chief brand officer said in a statement.
Taco Bell knows how much success it has seen from viral-style marketing campaigns that rely on pop culture references and nostalgia/passion for discontinued menu items. The Mexican Pizza is the most famous example of this when it was brought back as an LTO, then subsequently sold out, and brought back permanently with a little help from Doja Cat, Dolly Parton, and a TikTok musical earlier this year.
Mexican Pizza isn’t the only beloved menu item Taco Bell was smart enough to put back on the menu: the Yum Brands company capitalized on the pandemic-era menu culling of cheesy fiesta potatoes to bring them back last year with aplomb, along with other potato-based menu items. The Quesalupa and MenuMasters award-winning Nacho Fries also briefly returned in 2021.
With this latest marketing campaign, Taco Bell is targeting potential Rewards customers by dangling the chance to vote on the latest Taco Bell menu comeback.
“Nobody gets Taco Bell more than our community so we’re thrilled to empower them with this in-app voting experience that allows them to have a direct impact on our menu,” Tresvant said.
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