Doja Cat Breaks Free from Clown College in Taco Bell’s Super Bowl Commercial
You likely saw a cryptic emoji tweet from global superstar, Doja Cat, which sparked speculation online as to what it could mean. You may have even seen that Doja Cat unexpectedly leaked the Taco Bell Super Bowl Spot on her IG Live.
This is all leading up to Taco Bell featuring Doja Cat in its ad, which is titled 'The Grande Escape'. Doja Cat will appear alongside others who are stirring to Live their Más. The spot will feature a new Doja Cat cover.
Created with Deutsch LA, this milestone brand moment will throw out the typical playbook of celebrity endorsements by instead bringing one of Taco Bell’s most vocal customers-slash-critics to the table: Doja Cat.
“Live Más means celebrating that little bit of different that lives in all of us, which is exactly what Doja Cat represents,” said Tracee Larocca, Taco Bell’s head of brand creative. “For a milestone moment like the Big Game, we’ve thrown out the category playbook and instead gave Doja Cat the reins to be the voice of our fans, which will extend far beyond game time.”
The two have teamed up to give fans a bold new taste of what it means to Live Más with a high-energy ad spot and the promise of a few overtime saucy surprises. For one, Doja Cat is debuting an exclusive cover of the beloved pop-rock anthem “Celebrity Skin” by Hole in the commercial, titled “The Grande Escape.” The song features lyrics reworked in partnership with Courtney Love.
Set to air during the fourth quarter, 'The Grande Escape'' serves as an epic story of liberation from conformity and shows Doja Cat alongside others who escape from a clown college in pursuit of discovering Live Más for themselves. The spot shows how exhilarating it is to break from conformity and be your true self.
“The message of the spot is about liberating yourself from conformity and celebrating your authentic self," says Deutsch LA's chief creative officer Karen Costello. "It was very important for both us and Taco Bell that we work with a diverse group of people both in front of the camera and behind it on this production."
Known for her award-winning music, authentic and energetic persona and captivating social media presence, Doja Cat is the personification of a generation that praises authenticity, making her the perfect fit for the campaign.
'The Grande Escape' ad is just the latest in Taco Bell’s long line of groundbreaking initiatives it has taken in the music sphere, partnering with some of the world’s biggest artists, while also helping to feed emerging artists through their Feed The Beat music program. A song of strength and individuality, this new version of 'Celebrity Skin', celebrates all of our differences and what makes each of us unique in our own way, while reminding us all to Live Más!
"It’s no secret I’m a major Taco Bell fan which has made my role with this campaign all the more fun,” said Doja Cat. “I’ve enjoyed every moment of this campaign, especially the ones where we get to break all the rules, and look forward to continuing collaborating with the brand.” It’s also Doja Cat's first foray into pop-punk, opening her up to a whole new genre of music.
Taco Bell’s big game ad spot was produced in partnership with Deutsch LA and the fully integrated campaign includes work from Edelman and Spark Foundry. The last time Taco Bell advertised on this stage was during the 2016 game, with a campaign that introduced the fan-favorite Quesalupa to Taco Bell menus nationwide for the first time.
