THE TACOLATE
for Salt & Straw and Taco Bell
OUR ROLE
-Creative Direction-Art Direction
-Visual Campaign Design
-Packaging Design
-Photography Direction
-Retail Merchandising & Signage
The Tacolate reimagines the classic ice cream taco through the lens of craft ice cream, pairing the cultural nostalgia of the original with the playful spirit of Taco Bell. The central design challenge was finding a visual language that could honor both brands simultaneously, holding Salt & Straw's ingredient-forward craft identity alongside Taco Bell's boldly populist energy without diminishing either.
As in-house creative director at Salt & Straw, Kelsey developed the entire visual world of the product, leading creative direction, art direction, and design across the full campaign and product launch. The work spanned packaging, a 360° marketing rollout, retail merchandising, in-shop signage, and photography direction, resulting in a cohesive system built to carry from scoop shop freezers to national press coverage.
The visual language draws on the nostalgia of classic frozen treats through bright color, expressive typography, and rhythmic striping, while staying sharp and considered enough to live comfortably within Salt & Straw's craft universe. The system was designed to move fluidly across every touchpoint, feeling like both brands at once.
PRESS COVERAGE
The Dieline Food Network
Time Out
Allrecipes
Moss & Fog
COLLABORATORS
Photography: Luke and MalloryFood Styling: Trapp Food Styling
The Tacolate launched nationally through Salt & Straw scoop shops and online, quickly selling out and generating widespread press coverage across food, design, and culture publications.