Taco Bell Malaysia serves tacos with a side of beats in new Gen Z game plan

Taco Bell Malaysia is turning up the volume with a bold, Gen Z-focused campaign featuring a catchy new jingle, “Belum try, belum tau” ("Never try, never know"), composed by Roshan Jamrock of local hip hop group K-town Clan. The track, already buzzing online, reflects the brand’s latest push to blend cultural relevance with digital-first creativity.

The jingle ties into Taco Bell’s Merdeka and Malaysia Day promotion, running from September 1 to 16, offering most of its à la carte menu at just RM7.95 to encourage Malaysians to explore its full range of flavours. Belinda Ho, head of marketing at Taco Bell Malaysia told A+M, the promotion kickstarts the brand’s “Belum try, belum tau” campaign series, aimed at sparking curiosity and encouraging consumers to try something new.

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“This campaign is designed to inspire exploration,” said Ho. “The jingle and accompanying dance are fun, high-energy ways to create a movement, embedding Taco Bell even deeper into Malaysia’s food culture. We’ll keep coming out with bold, exciting food and promotional programs that connect with the younger generation and reflect Taco Bell’s unique brand character.”

For Taco Bell's APAC CMO, Andrea Beer, the brand’s Gen Z focus is a deliberate global strategy. “Gen Z is shaping culture by driving trends and influencing preferences at large,” she said. “Their digital-native habits have transformed how they consume content, with ad attention averaging just 1.3 seconds. To grab their attention, everything we create needs to spark or contribute to a conversation. Partnering with the right agencies is key to delivering against those expectations while staying authentic to the brand.”

To bring this latest campaign to life, Taco Bell Malaysia teamed up with Ballsy, the creative and media agency brought on for the quarter. VJ Anand, founder and chief creative officer of Ballsy, shared that he and his team were keen to create a real catchy tune with an artist and producer, instead of just another jingle.

“We worked with Roshan because he has this unique ability to make music that’s both catchy and culturally authentic. We told him, ‘Here’s the hook: Belum try, belum tau. Now make it super catchy, with something that fuses a dikir barat (Malay poetic singing) vibe with a Latin Bad Bunny-style beat," he said.

The result, according to Anand, was a tune that clicked instantly. “The first time we played it to the Taco Bell team, they said: ‘This is it.’ By the next day, they messaged saying they couldn’t get it out of their heads,” he recalled. “We were asked to bring it to life within 10 days, just in time for Merdeka — and we said hold our taco, we'll get it done.”

The music video, directed by local photographer Vinoth Raj Pillai, pairs energetic dance moves with the song’s core message, that Malaysians often stick to their usual fast-food favourites like burgers and fried chicken, but a taste of Taco Bell might just change their minds. The jingle is now featured across videos, in-store assets, and social content, with plans to leverage it across various brand touchpoints. 

Taco Bell Malaysia isn't the only fast-food brand dropping fresh beats. Last month, MAGGI Pedas Giler released a brand film channeling punk rock energy, anime-inspired visuals, and youth rebellion under the campaign "Berani berapi", which features the Jiwa Berani anthem created in-house by VML in partnership with an audio house.

That same month, McDonald’s Malaysia launched its "Duo terhangat" music video featuring local hip-hop artists MK K-Clique and TUJU, to mark the debut of its latest Spicy Chicken and Spicy Lemon Chicken burgers. Tapping into music and pop culture, the fast-food giant looked to strike a chord with younger Malaysians, blending the fiery flavours of its signature burgers with the swagger of two of the country’s biggest rap names.

In May, Nando's Malaysia launched InnuNando’s, a sultry, tongue-in-cheek music video set to a reworked version of the iconic track Belaian Jiwa, celebrating the passion and craft behind its flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken. The spot is part of the brand’s new platform, "That’s a Nando’s thing", which shines a spotlight on what makes the brand tick.

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