Del Taco Taps Popularity of Comics

Del Taco, a 42-year-old fast food chain that operates 470 restaurants in 13 states, is offering bilingual comic books as a giveaway to promote its Kid Loco kids' meals. Supporting P-O-P materials include drive-through banners, ceiling banners and wall-mounted displays that hold the comic books.The giveaway is tied to the Lake Forest, CA, company's kids' quesadillas menu option, introduced in June. Since that introduction, Kid Loco meal sales have reportedly increased 25%. The brightly colored comic books, which shipped to all of Del Taco's restaurants in July, tie in to the growing popularity of retro toys and comics. "DT Comics, a four-part series, introduce characters that liven up the kids' meal program," says Tom Meyer, director of marketing. "These new characters are front and center on our P-O-P materials."Three comic book characters -- a fun-loving boy named Del, his friend Neena and their pet chinchilla -- embark on four adventures including a trip to the zoo, an excursion to the park to play sports, a rainforest adventure and a fantasy trip to prehistoric times. Full of facts and interesting information for kids, the comic books also act as a cultural exchange by introducing readers to everyday words in both Spanish and English, each accompanied by an image. Measuring 10 inches by 6 12 inches, the 20-page comic books were produced by Creative Consumer Concepts (3C), Overland Park, Kan.In the past, Del Taco has offered stuffed animals and miniature monster trucks to promote its meals to families. The comics promotion features a wall-mounted display, which Meyer says is a "better use of real estate" than the floorstands used in previous promotions. The wall mount makes it easy to see and select the comic books while a clear Plexiglas cover protects the items inside. Part of a one-time rollout, the displays are located in the front section of restaurants, where customers place their orders. They are refillable and will be updated with new premiums down the road. The company expects the displays to be in stores indefinitely. No setup is required.Del Taco supplies all of its corporate and franchise restaurants with P-O-P materials and a guidebook, which explains where the displays should be located. This helps keep all stores in synch. Working with graphic designers, the company designs all display materials in-house. For this promotion, 50,000 displays were produced. Del Taco would not disclose the name of their vendor."Our stores have a festive atmosphere, and we don't want P-O-P displays to take away from that," Meyer explains. "We do want to communicate clearly the new kids' meal -- the drive-through banner and ceiling dangler accomplish that. Also, the wall-mounted display is an updated and better option for the overall Kid Loco meal program."According to Meyer, feedback from Del Taco restaurants has been positive, kids' meal sales are up and the comic books have been well received. Next up: the company is working on a "peel and win" promotion."Del Taco's new kids' quesadillas are on target with this age group," adds Sharon Fogg, DT senior vice president of marketing. "We expect the DT Comics series to have a similarly strong appeal as a learning premium. In fact, at the local level, we plan to share the comic books with schools and community organizations."

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