Taco Bell’s Fire! Tier loyalty members will have early access to the Taco Bell x Crocs Mellow Slide collaboration . . . .

Taco Bell announced today it has teamed up with Crocs to launch a Mellow Slide limited-edition collaboration. The Crocs Mellow Slides are inspired by Taco Bell’s signature colors – black and purple – and include “Live” and “Más” imprinted separately in white within each foot bed.

“Like Taco Bell, Crocs is all about tapping into culture and allowing their passionate fans to express themselves,” Taco Bell CMO Taylor Montgomery said in a statement. “We tapped into that link between the two brands, and we’re pumped to be able to share this exclusive Taco Bell x Crocs Mellow Slide with our fans.”

The special Crocs are available June 28 exclusively on crocs.com and will be sold for $60. Taco Bell loyalty members who have reached Fire! Tier status will be provided with early access beginning June 20.

“We’re always looking for unexpected ways to give back to our Rewards Members and giving them early access to order their own pair of slides feels perfect as everyone gears up for the summer,” Montgomery said.

This marks the brand’s first time working with Crocs, though sister chain KFC launched a limited-edition pair of Crocs in early 2020, featuring a fried chicken print, a red-striped bucket on the base and two attachable Jibbitz charms with a fried chicken scent.

Crocs’ comeback after 20 years in business has been largely driven by celebrity endorsements, Gen Z consumers and an appearance on a runway during Paris Fashion Week in 2017.

During Yum Brands’ Investor Day in December 2022, Taco Bell CEO Mark King noted that “the idea of brand buzz” driven by “big moments creates transactions.” He pointed the chain’s Super Bowl campaign featuring Doja Cat, the Mexican Pizza launch after fan-created petitions, and the Taco Bell Hotel & Resort in Palm Springs as examples.

“We used to have just a calendar of being on TV. Now we have a calendar of being on TV and creating events and moments and we’ll have 12 of those moments next year,” he said. “It’s been a big learning for us that our core customer – Gen Z – doesn’t watch a lot of TV. This learning is the evolution of how we market our brand to our consumer base.”  — Source: NRN.