• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, January 14, 2010

Del Taco, the #2 Mexican QSR chain, has created a branded humor series with content that will be featured in Webisodes on Facebook and the brand's site and also in traditional advertising.

"The Del Taco Super Special Show," created by Doner and Mekanism, is the brand's version of a late-night variety show.

The series is set at a Del Taco "just up the street" and hosted by an actor playing a Del Taco employee named Wes. Sketches and vignettes feature both animated and live characters, including Wes's roommate Barry (a voracious Del Taco fan) and the "Hot Sauce Girls" (Dallas cheerleader types).

Images and value messages about the chain's taco lines are interspersed throughout.

The full Webisodes, available on deltaco.com and facebook.com/deltaco, include edgier, more risqué content with appeal to Del Taco's core audience of men ages 18 to 34.

Del Taco is also tweeting to drive traffic to the Webisodes. People who view the first Webisode can get a coupon redeemable during their next visit to Del Taco.

So as not to alienate customers in the 35-49 age range, tamer excerpts from the show are being incorporated into the TV and radio ads being used to build brand exposure, as well as drive online traffic, notes Del Taco VP, marketing John Cappasola. The advertising uses the tagline: "Eat it here; watch it online."

TV spots will air in Los Angeles and Del Taco's other largest markets during the NFL playoffs, Lakers basketball, "Saturday Night Live," "Family Guy" episodes on CW, Fox Sports and ESPN programming and other shows. Radio spots will also air in key markets. Smaller markets will rely on print and in-store promotions, in addition to the online/social media element.

"We wanted a fully integrated campaign in which the creative could be used to carry our message across media," says Cappasola. "The show offers the irreverent spirit our customers expect from Del Taco."

Del Taco, which has up to now focused on traditional media advertising, views social media as a cost-effective means of building exposure and interaction with customers, particularly beyond its original West Coast markets. "We're using social media to extend the Del Taco experience," Cappasola says.

The chain now has 500-plus restaurants in 18 states, including the Southwest and Midwest and a few new locations in Florida and South Carolina.