Today, Taco Bell made headlines when the company “blacked out” and shut down all of its owned media including its official website, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook page. Only one post is left:

Image Source: Marketing Land

So why did Taco Bell “black out”? As you see above, it’s to promote the company’s latest mobile ordering app! Users with the app can now order menu items on-the-go and pick-up at a nearby Taco Bell restaurant.

I think the black out campaign is a creative way for Taco Bell to cut through the information clutter and prompt users to download the app. By “blacking out,” there’s no other content on the platforms to divert the user’s attention. Additionally, the suddenness of the campaign is driving a lot of buzz and attention to the company as users wondered why Taco bell blacked out. In fact, Taco Bell is encouraging users to talk about them by offering the hashtag: #OnlyInTheApp (which also happens to be trending on Twitter right now.)

Simultaneously, Taco Bell is running the risk of cutting off conversations between itself and its consumers. Taco Bell currently has a very engaged online community between ages 18-34. While the duration of the black out is currently unknown, the company’s online community base may decrease in size if the campaign lasts too long. Additionally, while Taco Bell evangelists are rejoicing at the idea of mobile ordering, the company is receiving a lot of backlash from normal users as the latter rejects the idea of being “forced” into downloading the app. That being said, I believe Taco Bell is moving in the right direction in the long run–by going to where the consumers are moving, which is mobile. Taco Bell is also improving its customer service model, which would be invaluable for its bottomline.