Taco Bell made some noise with the opening of its first London eatery last month—and that’s not even factoring in sounds of the police that showed up, the noises of a confused crowd, or the helicopter that circled overhead.
The Irvine-based fast food chain decided to ring the bell by recreating the chimes from the iconic Big Ben clock tower, which went silent last year due to conservation efforts that are scheduled to be finished in 2021.
Taco Bell worked with Composer and Sound Designer Simon Little to create a sound reminiscent of the Westminster chimes and Taco Bell’s not-quite-as-historic “ding.”
“The Taco Bell chime was actually made using an old ’80s FM synthesizer,” Little said in a promotional video. “I have mixed recordings of Big Ben and the original sound to create a new version of the Westminster quarters, which is the tune that Big Ben chimes every hour.”
Speakers were hidden inside rickshaws that were strategically placed around the clock tower so that Taco Bell’s version of the chimes would sound like it was coming from Big Ben.
Once the bells rang out, Londoners were seen stopping in their tracks and looking around confused. Some pulled out their cellphones to snap pictures, and soon the police showed up as crowds started to gather around to hear the bell.
Chief Brand Officer Marisa Thalberg said the prank was a perfect way to introduce itself to London.
“We don’t take ourselves too seriously and have been known to play a prank or two,” Thalberg said in a statement. “We hope our unique twist on Big Ben’s chimes brought surprise and humor to Londoners; this was our little arrival gift as we gratefully show up on London’s doorstep.”
The new restaurant has a modern design with artwork from local artists, free wireless, and outlets for charging devices, as well as beer served in the same way as its Las Vegas flagship, where cups are filled from the bottom before being sealed with a magnet. Taco Bell plans to open three more locations in London by early next year.
It currently has 28 locations in the United Kingdom.
Plus One
New York-based marketing and communications firm Finn Partners is getting closer to its base of Orange County-based clients, such as BSH Home Appliances Corp., TP-Link Technologies Co. and Easterseals Southern California.
The firm opened its first OC office in Costa Mesa two weeks ago, making it the fourth West Coast office, joining Los Angeles, Portland and San Francisco, which house more than 65 employees combined.
Finn said its new location will support technology, food and beverage and consumer accounts.
Finn West’s Founding Managing Partner Howard Solomon said it’s been a top priority for the agency to strengthen its footprint in the West.
“Our newest office positions us just minutes away from our existing Orange County clients and provides stronger access to the region’s expanding business opportunities located in nearby Anaheim, San Diego and other burgeoning SoCal business centers,” Solomon said in a statement.
Founding Partner Peter Finn added that its Costa Mesa office will expand its “recruitment efforts for top notch communications professionals who live in the region.”
Founded in 2011, the firm has 600 employees worldwide, clients including Bridgestone Americas Inc., Crystal Cruises LLC, Logitech International S.A. and The North Face Inc.
Come Together
Two Irvine-based organizations joined together last month to help generate social media buzz for a good cause.
Orange County United Way selected online video platform Indi to host a social media engagement challenge as part of the nonprofit’s Doing More campaign.
The challenge kicked off at United Way’s annual Rally for Change event, which recognized nearly 300 of the organization’s corporate partners, philanthropists, community leaders and advocates.
To participate, users post photos and videos to share on social media through Indi’s platform, which tracks social media engagement, and if the user’s content generates enough online buzz—from garnering hundreds of likes, to having posts shared by other users—the individual can win prizes, such as a basketball signed by Lakers great Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
Orange County United Way President and Chief Executive Susan Parks said it was good to see the initial response during its event.
“It was wonderful to see people spontaneously getting up, talking to each other, and taking photos and videos to share,” she said in a statement. “We look forward to utilizing Indi as a new way to extend our presence in the community, enable people to share why and how they’re doing more through United Way, and generate additional support for the vital programs we provide.”
The organization ranked 29th on the Business Journal’s list of OC’s largest nonprofits last week with revenue of $16.9 million for the 12 months ended June 30.
