Old El Paso brings the fiesta with Day of the Dead campaign

Day of the Dead, the annual Mexican festival and colourful street carnival that celebrates the spirit world, is fast becoming a global trend.

Cropping up more and more in UK popular culture, including the opening scene of James Bond film Spectre which sees Bond chase a villain through the parade in Mexico City, the festival is also increasingly providing Halloween inspiration, with people creating intricate skull make-up looks and hosting Mexican feasts.

Old El Paso, the number one Mexican food brand in the UK, is supporting the growth of the category and tapping into this emerging area with the next blast of its £6million marketing campaign – a doubled investment on 2018.

Inviting consumers to ‘Make Some Noise this Day of the Dead’, the brand’s new 30-second advert will be on TV from 30^th September to the 10^th November, supported by a social campaign with a spine-tingling twist.

The themed fun will continue in store with Old El Paso introducing a run of limited edition, Day of the Dead packaging. With shopper research showing Mexican is rarely top of mind, the vibrantly-coloured pack is designed to grab attention and boost impulse buys. Not only that, each kit comes with a free skull mask so that young millennial families can create their own Day of the Dead celebrations at home.

Chris Doe, Senior Brand Manager, Old El Paso says: “October is a key power period for us, with the ‘Big Night In’ and Halloween occasions bringing family and friends together to share food and have a fiesta!

“Thanks to the informal, social and fun-to-share nature of Mexican, Old El Paso is the perfect meal for these get-togethers. Our Day of the Dead activation, which forms part of our biggest creative campaign to date, has been designed to further boost the family fun, in turn increasing penetration for the Mexican category.”

At the centre of the campaign is Old El Paso’s Cheesy Baked Enchilada kit. The ideal dinner for a cold, dark evening and one of the brand’s best-selling SKUs, the meal kit is incremental to the sales of the core range and retailers are encouraged to stock up ahead of the Halloween period.

Source: General Mills

  day of the dead, Food, General Mills, Mexican Food, Old El Paso