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Taco Bell lets out a big 'peal' to announce big deal in London

November 20, 2018

Taco Bell rang its way into London Monday to alert the city's bewildered residents that the brand will open its first store in the British metropolis on Friday, Nov. 23. The brand said in a news release that it received more requests for a unit in London than just about any other city in the world, so leadership knew the debut on Friday was a big deal and thus required an equally big "peal." In this case that meant something on the order of the peal of Big Ben. 

Problem is, the iconic Westminster clock tower has been silenced for more than a year for reconstruction, so Taco Bell had to perform a little audio magic. In this case, it worked with an audio engineer to digitally recreate the chimes of Big Ben, which were then played during the Monday London commute, using mobile parametric speakers that circulated around the iconic clock tower, much to commuters' bewilderment. 

"Restoring Big Ben's bell with our bell was the perfect way to introduce ourselves to London in a way only Taco Bell can," Taco Bell Chief Brand Officer Marisa Thalberg, said in the release. "We don't take ourselves too seriously and have been known to play a prank or two. We hope our unique twist on Big Ben's chimes brought surprise and humor to Londoners. This was our little arrival gift as we gratefully show up on London's doorstep."

The prank harkens back 22 years to Taco Bell's 1996 April Fool's Liberty Bell prank. In that little piece of marketing mayhem, Taco Bell announced it had "bought the Liberty Bell" and renamed it the "Taco Liberty Bell." 

Soon the brand gave in and admitted the story was a hoax. In fact,in that case Taco Bell had actually made a contribution to the upkeep of the Liberty Bell. The London prank was pulled off in the same lighthearted vein. 

The brand's debut Friday in the Hammersmith district will be followed the following Friday, Nov. 30, with a restaurant opening in the Holborn area of the city, followed by a December opening in Croydon and then one more in Fulham early next year. 

"We've had our sights set on London for quite some time, and as we continue growing internationally, we're excited to bring Taco Bell to one of the world's largest cities - and one of our most-requested markets," Taco Bell International President Liz Williams, said in the release. "We've seen an overwhelmingly positive response to our U.K. restaurants, and have ambitious plans for growth in London and the broader U.K., targeting more than 30 U.K. restaurants by the end of the year."

The London restaurants feature modern designs, open-kitchen concepts, artwork from local artists, complimentary Wi-Fi and outlets for charging devices, inviting guests to stay and socialize over their meal. Menu items will include crave-able classics from Taco Bell's U.S. menu, as well as U.K.-specific items like churros with dipping sauces, twisted freezes, beer and happy hour specials.