Old El Paso Turns Messy Family Dinners Into a Global Ad in 'The Crunch Is Calling'
Updated: Sep 1
TL;DR: Old El Paso's 'The Crunch Is Calling', by London agency VCCP Blue, ditches functional food advertising for the joyful mess of family dinners — rolling out across 21 markets as the brand's biggest creative leap in years.
From functional to emotional
Old El Paso has launched what it calls its biggest creative shift in years. The Crunch Is Calling, created by VCCP Blue and directed by J Marlow through Outsider, uses the sound of a taco crunch echoing through a town to summon people home for dinner. Content partner Girl&Bear extends the idea across formats.
The 30-second hero film is rolling out across 21 countries via TV, social, digital, out-of-home, digital OOH and in-store. Executive creative director Ross Neil described it as "a creative leap… into a more vibrant, messy, authentic space" — a clear break from the category's usual clean, appetite-appeal formula.
Why 'messy' is the right strategic bet
Food advertising has long defaulted to pristine plating and slow-motion perfection. Old El Paso is betting the opposite: that people connect with the reality of dinner — spills, noise, hands in the bowl — because that's how the product is actually eaten. Authenticity here isn't a buzzword; it's a category contrast.
The shift also future-proofs the brand's storytelling. Emotional, occasion-led ideas travel across cultures more easily than product claims, which matters for a brand deploying one film across 21 very different markets.
Marketing Minute's read: distinctiveness through occasion
Our take: the smartest thing here is that Old El Paso is claiming an occasion, not just a product. "Taco night" is a repeatable ritual, and brands that own a moment in the week build far more durable demand than brands that merely own a shelf.
The messiness is a distinctiveness device. In a category of interchangeable, glossy food ads, embracing chaos makes the work instantly recognisable. The crunch becomes a distinctive brand cue people can hear before they see the logo.
What businesses should take from it
Ask what occasion your product belongs to, and whether you're marketing the product or the moment. Owning a recurring ritual — Friday night, Sunday breakfast, the mid-week reset — gives customers a reason to choose you again and again.
If your category has a visual or sensory cliché, breaking it deliberately can be a cheap route to distinctiveness. The crunch is a sonic asset; consider what ownable cue — a sound, a gesture, a colour — your brand could claim.
Quick FAQ
What is Old El Paso's 'The Crunch Is Calling' campaign?
It's Old El Paso's biggest creative platform in years, by VCCP Blue, using a taco crunch that echoes through a town to call people home for a messy, joyful family dinner. It runs across 21 markets.
Which agency made it?
London agency VCCP Blue led the creative, with the film directed by J Marlow through Outsider and content produced with Girl&Bear.
Why is the ad deliberately messy?
The brand is contrasting with the category's usual pristine food styling, betting that authentic, real-life dinner scenes are more relatable — and that embracing mess makes the work more distinctive and memorable.
Old El Paso isn't selling tortillas here — it's claiming an occasion. 'Taco night' is a ritual, and brands that own a recurring moment in someone's week build demand that compounds. The messy, sensory crunch is the distinctive cue that makes it all memorable. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
Own an occasion, not just a shelf — the brands that claim a recurring ritual get chosen again and again.
What moment in your customer's week could your brand credibly own?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Creative Salon, Campaign.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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