Dos Equis Truck Offers Tacos for the Brave, With a Facebook Tie-In

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Dos Equis is inviting fearless New York eaters to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with delicacies from its Feast of the Brave Taco Truck. On the menu are grasshopper, cow tongue, veal brain and ostrich.

The initiative, tightly integrated with Facebook, plays off the brand's central message of living a more interesting life and originated in part because of the recent popularity of food trucks.

"But we weren't satisfied with simply branding a food truck. We needed to make an impact that was truly 'Dos Equis,'" said Senior Brand Director Paul Smailes for the Mexican beer. "Everything we did from the truck branding to the fillings is about being truly 'interesting.' We tested a lot of recipes and samples but settled on the ones we did because it gives everyone a chance to have an experience they'll share and remember."

From April 28 to May 7, the truck is making multiple stops each day throughout Manhattan (and briefly in Brooklyn) and, Dos Equis says, it will "dispense a selection of exotic fare guaranteed to take your palate on a most interesting pleasure cruise."

The tacos are free, but limited to three per person.

Dos Equis has nearly 1.1 million "likes" on Facebook, where it streams live video from the truck locations and has a photo album with 125 pictures of brave feasters. The Facebook page also has a "Taco Tracker" map with pins indicating all 21 spots where the truck will stop, from Midtown East in Manhattan to Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

In addition, the Facebook page includes Twitter updates and asks fans to check in on Foursquare and Facebook Places. As of Thursday there had been about 75 Foursquare check-ins.

Since the truck launched on April 27, Dos Equis has gained approximately 2,500 Facebook likes, Smailes says. On Twitter, @FeastoftheBrave has 473 followers since it began tweeting on April 27. Dos Equis does not have a separate Twitter handle.

Smailes says the ostrich taco has been the most popular. To date, Dos Equis has given away more than 2,000 tacos, but he expects the figure to rise to more than 3,000 by the time the promotion ends on Saturday.

Dos Equis has partnered with Chef Domingo Garza of Montauk, N.Y.-based taco truck Montaco to come up with the menu and recipes, which can also be found on the Dos Equis Facebook page.

Montaco spends the winter in Miami. But, according to its Twitter feed, it is slated to return to New York soon. In his blog, Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, called Montaco "one of the best food trucks in America."

Smailes says Garza "has a flare for traditional Mexican cuisine."

The truck is clearly branded with Dos Equis logos and drives consumers back to Dos Equis assets like its Facebook page, Smailes says.