Call it a “Tac-ini.”

We’re referring to the new bikini from Taco Bell that’s embellished with images of hot sauce packets. It’s one fun piece in a just-released collection of summer-themed branded merchandise from the fast-food chain.

Sauce Packet Bikini from Taco Bell can be found here.

Hot sauce, a preferred condiment with Taco Bell’s Mexican-inspired cuisine, is the prevailing theme of the collection. That makes sense, of course, since the swag is for summer. Beyond the “tac-ini”, as we’ve dubbed it, there are hot sauce-branded swim trunks, velour beach towels and a pool float. A pop art-themed beach umbrella and cooler round out the novel merch.

Hot Sauce Packet Pool Float can be found here.

Sauce Packet Swim Trunks can be found here.

Sauce Packet Collection Beach Towel can be found here.

Taco Bell Pop Art Beach Umbrella can be found here.

Taco Bell Pop Art Cooler can be found here.

Taco Bell has made a habit of launching irreverent seasonal/topical merch lines. There was, for instance, the holiday apparel collection that came out last November. In summer 2018, the purveyor of Nacho Fries came to market with wedding-themed promotional products – a collection inspired by couples keen to tie the knot at Taco Bell’s flagship location.

What’s the takeaway for promo pros from Taco Bell’s swag shenanigans? One, for sure, is that brands in the restaurant/hospitality market seem to have been upping their game when it comes to branded merchandise over the last few years. So, in that, there’s opportunity. But even more fundamentally, the collection is a reminder of the fun that promotional products can be. Try approaching your next few consultative sales with that sense of fun, and you might find that your creativity blooms, sprouting solutions that are a win for your clients – and, thereby, for you too.