Old El Paso Calls On Crunch Time

The brand demonstrates the power of the ‘crunch’, by VCCP Blue

By Creative Salon

17 August 2026

Today, Old El Paso unveils ‘The Crunch is Calling’, a new campaign by creative agency of record VCCP Blue, which is celebrating the joyful, unapologetic messiness of dinner time.

In a world where life and food are becoming optimised for efficiency, Old El Paso is encouraging the nation to gather around the dinner table and reclaim those moments of authentic connection that come with sharing a meal. The campaign positions Old El Paso’s new crunchy tacos as a summoning call for a different kind of dinnertime - one where the crunch acts as a plot twist, transforming dinnertime into a more memorable, fun experience full of authentic connection.

‘The Crunch is Calling’ transforms the iconic crunch of a taco into a playful, irresistible call to the dinner table - a signal to put phones down, gather round the table, and get stuck in. The film was directed by J Marlow through Outsider, in collaboration with VCCP’s global content creation studio Girl&Bear. At the heart of the campaign is a 30” film that opens with a woman at her dinner table biting down on a crunchy taco which creates a crunch that echoes throughout the town. From a woman working in an office, to a barber giving a trim and a gardener driving a mower, the crunch of an Old El Paso taco acts as an irresistible calling sound that these three characters immediately respond to as they race each other to the dinner table.

Undermining category norms of a staged, picture perfect dinnertable, the film is largely centred outside of the home where the crunch acts as an irresistible pull that cuts through everyday life to bring people back home and connect with one another over a shared meal.

The campaign dramatises Old El Paso’s commitment to standing for messy, hands-on meals that naturally bring people together - spotlighting how some meals are worth slowing down for. As such, the new campaign humorously dramatises the unique ability of sound to shift behaviour by hyperbolising the unmistakable crunch of an Old El Paso taco into a tacit call to action: hear the crunch, and come together.

Rodrigo Patiño, Business Unit Director at Old El Paso, said: “We’re taking the idea that dinner is the ultimate community ritual and turning it into a call to action. ‘The Crunch is Calling’ celebrates the unique power of Mexican food to cut through the everyday humdrum and bring people together. It’s loud, it’s fun, and it’s a reminder that the best connections happen when you’re hands-on, heads-up and fully engaged. We’re ready for the nation to hear the crunch and come together.”

Ross Neil, Executive Creative Director at VCCP Blue, added: "Bringing this campaign to life with Old El Paso has been an absolute blast. It represents a creative leap for the brand into a more vibrant, messy, authentic space, and it's a testament to a partnership that just keeps getting stronger. We’re incredibly proud of the work, and trust us - this is only the beginning."

‘The Crunch is Calling’ encourages the nation to re-centre dinnertime as a moment of real connection by inspiring people to let go of their routine and rediscover the joy of slowing down, switching off, and coming together over a crunchy taco.

The campaign spans TV, social, digital, online video, OOH, DOOH and in-store, and is running across the UK, France, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, UAE, South Africa, Netherlands, Singapore, Japan, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Panama.

Credits:

CLIENT: General Mills

ADVERTISING AGENCY: VCCP Blue

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Ross Neil

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Dipesh Mistry

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Drew Haselhurst

CREATIVE: Will Wright

CREATIVE: James Morgan

CREATIVE: Amelia Shaw

CREATIVE: Neva Lilljequist

MANAGING PARTNER: Sean Kelly

SENIOR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Christina Caillard