Taco Bell set out to grow sales and expand its late-night business. The opportunity was clear: an entire daypart that fast food had yet to claim. Late-night behavior already existed. People stay out late, party, and look for something fast, greasy, and good. Rather than promote a traditional “late-night menu,” the strategy focused on branding the behavior itself. The result was Fourthmeal, the meal after the after-party.

The campaign featured real beatbox and rap artists freestyling their late-night cravings at the drive-thru, bringing authenticity and cultural energy to the idea. The work quickly gained momentum, showing up on late-night talk shows, inspiring memes, and landing a spot in Urban Dictionary.

Fourthmeal didn’t just increase sales. It gave late-night eaters a shared language and a ritual they could claim as their own.