From a series of disgruntled tweets to a full-blown TikTok musical, Taco Bell and Doja Cat showed the world how influencer marketing is done in 2022—earning Best Use of TikTok honors at the Creativity Awards, as judged by a panel of Ad Age editors and TikTok executives.
Taco Bell and Doja Cat struck gold as the ultimate TikTok frenemies
Doja’s genuine indignation at the disappearance of Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza soon became a sly partnership, with Doja playing a kind of “anti-hero” endorser—a clever strategic platform devised by Deutsch LA where she antagonized Taco Bell until it brought the menu item back.
TikTok was integral to the campaign. Doja wrote a Mexican Pizza “jingle” and released it on the platform, and Taco Bell eventually produced an entire TikTok musical about her Mexican Pizza saga. (And yes, Taco Bell brought the Mexican Pizza back, which Doja announced on stage at Coachella.)
@tacobell @Doja Cat ♬ original sound - tacobell
The jury agreed the work set the bar last year for entertaining content that feels native and organic to the platform. “This is exactly how brands should be thinking about TikTok,” said one juror.