In August Taco Bell will open the doors of “The Bell,” a branded hotel and resort in Palm Springs. Patrons can experience new exclusive menu times and the brand plans to brand everything from pool floaties to guest rooms to an on-site gift shop and salon for the ultimate pop-up. Reservations for which open in June.
The landing page describes the experience: “Get ready for “Bell”hops and Baja Blasts, Fire Sauce and Sauce Packet floaties, because The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort is opening for a limited time in Palm Springs this August, meant for 18+ superfans. Complete with exclusive Taco Bell menu items and plenty of surprises, The Bell is sure to be the spicy twist of your summer. So pack your swimsuit, mark your calendars and start the countdown, because The Bell is about to make all of your taco dreams come true.”
“The Bell stands to be the biggest expression of the Taco Bell lifestyle to date. It will be fun, colorful, flavorful and filled with more than what our fans might expect,” said Taco Bell’s chief global brand officer Marisa Thalberg.
Since Thalberg joined the team in 2016, the brand’s marketing endeavors continue to expand with ads and campaigns geared towards Gen Z and Millennials. In an interview, Thalberg told Fortune, “In some ways, we’re the fast fashion of food.”
Taco Bell’s creation of a physical location like The Bell would fall in line with its recent history of aiming to attract a younger crowd. According to report from Atlantic Re:Think earlier this year a “brand’s physical stores encouraged 41 percent of participants [to purchase goods], while only 10 percent were influenced by a brand’s ecommerce site, which shows that real-life experiences still matter to Gen Z. For brands like GAP, Abercrombie & Fitch and others that provide beautiful in-store shopping experiences this could be a boon.”
In 2017 Taco Bell partnered with Lyft to offer passengers a food run with “Taco Mode,” an in-app option to add a Taco Bell stop to their ride. Last year, the company created a holiday promotion around its Triple Double Crunchwrap that offered CrunchWrapping Paper.
This summer, Taco Bell will be the first company to sponsor Bleacher Report’s House of Highlights, Instagram Stories with an NBA-focus that the publication features on a weekly basis.
