Taco Bell fans have been creating and sharing Taco Bell memories for decades — everything from nerve-racking first dates, taco-centric graduation photoshoots and big birthday bashes— all starting with a trip to the nearest Taco Bell. The brand is celebrating a fandom that has spanned generations by bringing back a taste of the most mouth-watering hits across the first 50 years of its history, including the ‘60s Tostada, ‘70s Green Sauce Burrito, ‘80s Meximelt and ‘90s Gordita, available starting October 31, and the ‘00s iconic Caramel Apple Empanada.

I was responsible for coming up with a visual language, directing product video and photography, and designing menuboard graphics. For the visual language of this campaign, I wanted to find a way to photographically bridge the 50 year gap of all 5 products in a way that would feel cohesive, but unmistakably vintage. This constraint had me looking back to the glory days of advertisement photography and led to me referencing a style of editorial photography that screams of a bygone era. Slightly desaturated and shot in an environment rooted somewhere between reality and a liminal void, this style of photography began broad use in the middle of the 20th century but generally did not survive past the ‘90s, therefore it holds a strong ability to communicate former decades at a glance.

Role: Art Direction, Design, Concept

Creative Director: Chris Selter
Senior Art Director: Chase Wood
Head of Video: Andrew Ducote