- Taco Bell is looking to disrupt the golf world through a partnership with apparel brand Bad Birdie that, in addition to a capsule of branded apparel, will give 16 junior golfers a chance to play in a pro tour championship later this year.
- The first-ever Taco Bell x Bad Birdie Invitational teed off this week with 16 junior golfers – 8 boys and 8 girls – competing for a chance to win sponsor exemptions to play in the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass and the Puerto Rico Open.
- While competing in the Invitation, the Gen Z golfers will be sporting fashion from a limited edition Taco Bell x Bad Birdie capsule that includes pullovers, polos, hats and golf accessories that fuse Bad Birdie’s streetwear-inspired looks with Taco Bell’s “Live Max” attitude.
Sponsoring the younger golfers and teaming with a disruptor fashion brand is part of Taco Bell’s larger strategy of reaching Gen Z consumers in ways that resonate with them. In addition to the tournament and fashion drop, the company is also giving each of the young competitors in the tournament a $2,500 grant from the Taco Bell Foundation to donate to a nonprofit of their choice, appealing to the younger cohort’s desire to give back to their communities.
Indeed, the Taco Bell x Bad Birdie Invitation itself had its own spin on traditional tournaments, beginning with a casual team scramble that included creators, Taco Bell executives and All-Pro wide receive Davante Adams. The second day of the competition include an 18-hole stroke play round followed by single-elimination match play to determine the champions.
While on the course, the young golfers were sporting apparel from the Taco Bell x Bad Birdie collection. The fashion collab is intended to celebrate “individuality, community and rule-breaking on the course and beyond,” according to press materials. The ethos fits in with the chain’s strategy of being a “culture rebel” as it goes after Gen Z consumers, as chief marketing officer Taylor Montgomery explained to Brand Innovators last year.
“A brand is the cultural rebel people that shape culture are fearless and are bold.” Montgomery said. “For us to connect with Gen Z and reach them, we have to walk the walk first.”
