Taco Bell is now offering ‘emotional support tacos’

Taco Bell wants to be there for you whether your favorite team wins or loses. The chain has launched L.O.C.O.S. (Loss Or Celebration Outcome Support), or what it’s calling a “global emotional support taco program,” to coincide with the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

Starting today through July 13, Taco Bell Rewards Members can tap into L.O.C.O.S. in the app with a personalized, gamified experience built around their mood. It includes weekly challenges and chances to win exclusive L.O.C.O.S. merch and food. The platform includes “Celebration Mode” and “Support Mode.”

The platform was built to support customers beyond soccer-inspired reactions, however. The company states that L.O.C.O.S. also rallies around fans in the emotional aftermath of "personal victories, meltdowns, crushing breakups, and more.”

"Fandom has a way of making every moment feel bigger — the wins feel sweeter, the stakes feel higher, and Taco Bell has always been there to support those moments,” Global Chief Brand Officer Taylor Montgomery said in a statement. “L.O.C.O.S. takes an existing fan behavior and builds a global platform around it, giving Taco Bell a bold new way to show up for fans in moments they care about most."

In addition to merch and food, rewards will also include vouchers, activations, and drops in select international markets, including the U.S., UK, Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Spain. The schedule includes:

• From June 23 through July 13, Taco Bell Rewards members in the U.S. can play L.O.C.O.S., a personalized gamified experience built around the two emotions of fandom: celebrating the win or recovering from the loss. Fans can choose their mode to unlock a taco with purchase on their first play, earn rewards, return for weekly challenges, and compete for merch. Also, beginning June 25, immersive fan activations will be held in Los Angeles and New York City, with elements like scream booths, photo walls, taco trucks, and more.

• In the United Kingdom on June 23 and June 27, fans in Camden, London should look for Taco Bell tuktuks handing out free tacos, exclusive merch, and surprise giveaways.

• Starting June 26, the Taco Bell team will roll through South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia, with free tacos, vouchers, and surprise merch.

• A Vancouver activation will take place June 24, while in Brazil, activations will take place in São Paulo’s Ibirapuera Park through July 19. L.O.C.O.S. activations have also already been held in Spain.

“No matter where you are in the world, fandoms may look different, but the feelings are universal: celebration, disappointment, loyalty, and the need for a taco when the moment calls for it,” Taco Bell International Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Amy Durini said in a statement. “As L.O.C.O.S. comes to life internationally in select markets, Taco Bell is showing up for fans around the world in ways that feel true to each local fandom, recognizing the passion, traditions, and shared experiences that make them so unique and powerful.”

Taco Bell said that while the L.O.C.O.S. launch coincides with the World Cup, the platform will be available after the event ends. Fans can continue to follow L.O.C.O.S. moments through the Taco Bell app and social media channels.

This platform comes as more chains, including Chipotle, Cava, and McDonald’s, add gamified and personalized features to their loyalty program to stand out and build affinity. Offering emotional support tacos is also a way to bolster loyalty by offering food as comfort. Domino’s, for instance, has had tremendous success with its occasional Emergency Pizza promotion, introduced in 2023 to offer customers a free pizza when they need it most.