Taco Bell Debuts NBA Five Buck Box

The quick-service chain will promote the jumbo value meal in an extensive TV and radio campaign.

-- Restaurants & Institutions, February 2, 2010

[PRESS RELEASE] Irvine, Calif., February 1, 2010 – Taco Bell, the Official Quick Service Restaurant of the NBA, announced today the debut of its new NBA Five Buck Box that is sure to satisfy big appetites for value and basketball, while its ad creative is sure to excite the nearly 100 million viewers of Football’s Biggest Game. The box includes five Taco Bell All-Star menu items in special NBA-themed packaging, which includes images of some of the league’s biggest stars.

The Taco Bell NBA Five Buck Box integration will be promoted through television and radio ads featuring Basketball Hall-of-Famer and Emmy Award-winning commentator Charles Barkley that will air before, during and following Football’s Biggest Game. In-store signage, on-air broadcast mentions and on-site activities during NBA All-Star 2010 will also raise awareness.

Available at participating Taco Bell locations nationwide, the NBA Five Buck Box comes in two varieties:

    •    Volcano Box: Includes the Volcano Taco, Volcano Double Beef Burrito, Crunchy Taco, Cinnamon Twists and a medium drink.

    •    Cheesy Gordita Crunch Box: Features the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, Burrito Supreme®, Crunchy Taco, Cinnamon Twists and a medium drink.

“Consumers with a hunger for value now have more options with the exciting, convenient and portable NBA-branded big-boxed value meal,” said David Ovens, Chief Marketing Officer, Taco Bell Corp. “By combining great NBA talent with the great flavor of Taco Bell, the NBA Five Buck Box will satisfy even the hungriest sports fans.”
Taco Bell is supporting the launch of the NBA Five Buck Box with broadcast TV and radio ads featuring Barkley.

Debuting Thursday, January 28, the first set of :15 and :30 television ads titled “Poem” present a prim and proper “Sir Charles” in his study while contemplating a poem that best describes the NBA Five Buck Box. These “to be continued” spots, which will run nationally, serve as a humorous teaser for the concluding ads to come.

On Sunday, February 7, during the biggest game in football, “It Rocks” makes its debut with Barkley’s complete musical rhyme and features a special appearance from Los Angeles Lakers forward, Lamar Odom. The ad, created by Draftfcb Orange County in conjunction with House of Usher (production), Hatch (digital special effects) and Method Studio (special effects), will run nationally through March 7, accompanied by :60, :45 and :30 radio versions. The spot was directed by Kinka Usher.

“The key was to be more than entertaining but to also deliver a clear and memorable product offering,” said Teddy Brown, Executive Creative Director, Draftfcb Orange County.

Barkley’s presence with the Taco Bell and NBA partnership extends to a viral promotion that goes live February 28.
Visitors to www.tacobell.com/bigbox, www.youtube.com/tacobell and the Taco Bell mobile site at m.tacobell.com can find exclusive video called “5 Seconds with Sir Charles.” These six :05 videos offer quirky thoughts from Barkley on topics including history, craftsmanship, trophies and Taco Bell® Cinnamon Twists. The videos, which will be promoted virally, are accompanied by the :15 and :30 television ads.

“Taco Bell has a long history of engaging restaurant promotions and entertaining television commercials, and this new effort is sure to resonate with NBA fans,” said Mark Tatum, NBA Executive Vice President of Marketing Partnerships. “The NBA Five Buck Box and new advertising campaign are a great way to generate excitement for our game and is a great prelude to what you’ll see from our partnership at NBA All-Star 2010.”

About Taco Bell Corp.

Taco Bell Corp. (“Taco Bell”), a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., (NYSE: YUM), is the nation’s leading Mexican-style quick service restaurant chain. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, signature quesadillas, Grilled Stuft Burritos, nachos, and other specialty items such as Crunchwrap Supreme®, in addition to the 79-89-99 Why Pay More!® Value Menu. Taco Bell serves more than 36.8 million consumers each week in nearly 5,600 restaurants in the U.S.