Taco Bell hacks its own website and social media accounts to launch new app?

While the jury is out deciding whether Taco Bell’s bold app launch was a #prwin or #prfail, one thing is certain – the column inches are mounting. If it’s true that any PR is good PR, then wow, there is a lot of good PR. Choosing a busy end-of-month Friday, Taco Bell appeared to hack it’s own website and social media accounts by deleting all content and leaving an image directing visitors and fans to download the app. The Instagram collage can still be seen on their account  “THE NEW WAY TO TACO BELL ISN’T ON INSTAGRAM IT’S #ONLYINTHEAPP”.

I’m not sure who I admire most, the LBiDigitas Account Manager who, I can only imagine, in their spare time could convince you ‘these are NOT the droids you’re looking for’, the rare Taco Bell Digital Manager confident in the knowledge they hired the right agency and gave them the trust and space they needed to shine, or the passionate and opinionated Taco Bell #fans and #haters who are battling it out (still) online.

Avid fans of PR Examples may recall a similar situation last year when the New York Times website went down and fans were directed to their Facebook page.

Anyone who thought that removing Taco Bell’s ability to communicate with their fans may be right, but in doing so, Taco Bell has achieved social gold by creating two-way conversations between fans on their own social pages (1,174 FB comments in 3 days and 15k likes). For that, I’m firmly in the #prwin camp for Taco Bell’s social blackout. If I can ‘dunk in the dark’ then I’m sure I can still ‘spill a taco down my chin in the dark’ too!

ALL