Taco Bell's Metaverse Ceremony Makes Wedding Dreams Come True
(Taco) Bells are ringing as the lucky couple who will be tying the knot at Taco Bell’s metaverse wedding is unveiled! Lifelong Taco Bell fans Sheel Mohnot and Amruta Godbole said ‘I do’ on February 24th with an out-of-this-realm wedding celebration in Decentraland.
Winning out over 300 couples who applied to win the Taco Bell metaverse wedding of their dreams, Sheel, a co-founder of Better Tomorrow Ventures, a venture capital firm and Amruta, a lawyer at Instagram, embody what it means to love and live más. No strangers to the joys of virtual partnership, the Bay-area based couple’s story started after a mutual friend connected the pair and they shared an hours-long phone call where they learned about each other’s lives and upbringings – both of which included a passion for Taco Bell. The pair share an Indian heritage as well as a vegetarian lifestyle, making the eatery’s vegetarian options tried-and-true staples in their everyday lives. It was only fitting that one of their first IRL dates took place over a romantic beach-front meal at Taco Bell’s Pacifica location, which has been named the 'world’s most beautiful Taco Bell.' During a trip to Mexico, the lovestruck couple were engaged over a meal of tacos, and the rest is soon to make Taco Bell and metaverse history.
“Taco Bell and Deutsch LA want to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Taco Bell does weddings in Vegas, so we thought, what better way than to use our existing brand equity and reimagine what an actual wedding could look like in the metaverse,” said Ivan Perez-Armendariz, Deutsch LA’s executive vice president and head of digital experience. “The idea ties the magic of the metaverse with real world utility for the ultimate fan experience. We're excited to see this come to life in Decentraland and look forward to what's next.”
Deutsch LA’s experiential and creative teams worked in tandem with The Electric Factory, a creative innovation company and Mobeon, an emerging live streaming production company to bring the wedding to life.
“When we heard about the contest, we knew it was the perfect opportunity for us. Now that we're getting closer to the wedding day, we're excited to see the vision come to life,” said bride-to-be Amruta Godbole. “We're really looking forward to sharing the experience with our friends and family from all over the globe - many of whom may not have been able to attend in-person. Some of them still don’t totally understand the idea of a metaverse wedding, but once they knock back a couple of virtual bottles of Baja Blasts, I think they'll get in the spirit.”
And for groom-to-be, Sheel Mohnot, Taco Bell holds many memories dating all the way back to his childhood, so the wedding is truly a full-circle moment: “Growing up, Taco Bell was one of the only places we'd eat out and going there was a special occasion. Now, while eating out isn’t a luxury in the same way - I somehow still find myself coming back to my familiar Taco Bell favourites. We are excited to be a part of the Taco Bell family, as well as experience things we’d never get to do in an IRL wedding - like ride an elephant to the venue!”
Sheel and Amruta worked closely with both Taco Bell and their partners to plan an other-worldly event in Decentraland – a 3D browser-based platform allowing shared virtual exploration. The wedding pushes past previous platform limitations with never before seen elements that Decentraland users will be able to view even after the wedding for a limited time. The groom’s avatar will ride into the venue on an elephant in a customary baraat procession, paying homage to the duo’s Indian roots. Additionally, after saying “I do,” the couple will unveil a kissing emote in the metaverse, specifically designed for the occasion. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Taco Bell wedding without food! Guests will also bear witness to the largest virtual Cinnabon Delights cake that the brand has ever created.
