The Taco Boy

On August 29th, a week before the official kick off of this upcoming NFL football season on September 7th, 84-year-old General Mills brand Old El Paso and creative agency, EP+Co, broke into the sports space by launching a new TV spot called, “The Taco Boy.” The spot features brothers and NFL players J.J., Derek and T.J. Watt, leveraging these football stars in a game day spot that establishes credibility for Old El Paso in the football space, as the brand aspires to become the go-to meal solution for tailgating and homegating events.

“The Taco Boy” spot was not only inspired by the late 90’s film, “The Waterboy,” but taking things a step further, was actually directed by Frank Coraci himself –– shot in a similar style to “The Waterboy.”

“The Taco Boy'' is part of Old El Paso’s newest campaign, “So. Many. Pasobilities” which launched in June 2023, and is the first creative campaign in partnership with advertising agency EP+Co after being appointed as the brand’s creative agency since September 2022. EP+Co tapped into the universal sentiment that Mexican food is simple, easy and communal –– whereas football creates a space for game day gatherings that is common ground and not a battleground. It was the perfect opportunity to bring these two universally-loved fan bases together, those who love football and tailgates, and those who love Mexican cuisine.

“The Waterboy” character claims that water is better than sports drinks when it comes to game day hydration, and now Old El Paso is making the claim that tacos are better than hot dogs and burgers when it comes to game day food.

Old El Paso positions themselves as the game day go-to as they bring innovation and convenience to the tailgate with flat-bottomed taco shells that don’t fall over and tortilla boats that don’t lose their load. Old El Paso is a General Mills brand that carries a variety of Tex-Mex meal items that have become household staples since its founding in 1938. Some of these beloved items include delicious dinner kits, taco shells, seasonings bursting with flavor and more.

The spot will run nationally across broadcast and social. The :15 spot will launch on broadcast tv on September 4th and the full :30 spot will premiere on Amazon on September 14th. There will also be a :06 spot that goes live on social and POLV (Premium Online Video) August 28th.