Taco Bell Gives Consumers More Variety for Less Money with New 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu (Press Release)

Menu features all new 89 cent Cheesy Double Beef Burrito with double the beef and more value for money.

-- Chain Leader, 5/15/2008 8:47:00 AM

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a world of copycat value menus with dollar double cheeseburgers, Taco Bell is serving up more bang for the buck to hungry consumers with the launch of its new 79-89-99 Why Pay More(tm) Value Menu. The permanent value menu debuts nationwide at participating restaurants on May 19, delivering three amazing price points-79, 89 and 99 cents-and a more meaningful variety of menu choices including burritos, tacos, nachos and more. 

Featuring classic Taco Bell(r) items like the iconic Beef Crunchy Taco and four all-new Value Menu products to choose from, the 79-89-99 Why Pay More Menu is all about spending less and getting more. The hefty 89 cent Cheesy Double Beef Burrito, filled with a double portion of seasoned beef and melted nacho cheese sauce, highlights the menu and will be prominently featured in restaurant point-of-purchase materials and in television advertising. 

"With gas prices having soared to more than $4 a gallon in some parts of the country, consumers are looking for creative ways to stretch their dollars," said David Ovens, Chief Marketing Officer, Taco Bell Corp. "As the leader in value innovation, our 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu completely reframes value for Quick Service Restaurant customers. For unbelievable value and variety of choices, consumers can enjoy Taco Bell's signature items and new favorites like the 89 cent Cheesy Double Beef Burrito at prices that won't break the bank." 

Taco Bell established itself as the value leader in the '80s and '90s with the introduction of the industry's first three-tiered price menu. In 2004, it again redefined the value landscape with the Big Bell Value Menu, offering customers more filling items on a value menu. With the introduction of 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu, Taco Bell will once again reinforce its value dominance in QSR. 

New Menu Items 

The 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu gives customers a variety of value options far from the typical burger, fries and drink. Besides including classics like the Beef Crunchy Taco, Beef Soft Taco, Bean Burrito, Cinnamon Twists and Caramel Apple Empanada, the 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu includes four new items: 

* Cheesy Double Beef Burrito - The 89 cent Cheesy Double Beef Burrito is a change from typical dollar double cheeseburgers. Prepared with a warm flour tortilla filled with two generous portions of Taco Bell's flavorful seasoned beef, seasoned Mexican rice and melted Nacho Cheese Sauce. 

* Triple Layer Nachos - For 79 cents, customers can enjoy freshly prepared nacho chips topped with Taco Bell's classic simmering Red Sauce, warm hearty beans and warm Nacho Cheese Sauce. 

* Melted Three-Cheese Roll-Up - Also for 79 cents, the Melted Three-Cheese Roll-Up includes a flour tortilla filled with a blend of three real cheeses, melted to perfection and rolled up so you can take it on the go. 

* Big Taste Taco - For only 99 cents, Big Taste Taco includes a warm flour tortilla loaded with seasoned beef, crisp lettuce, crunchy Red Strips, cheddar cheese and topped with Taco Bell's Creamy Jalapeno Sauce for an added kick. 

Marketing Support 

An integrated national marketing campaign will launch and support the new 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu, including multiple television spots, radio spots, public relations, new packaging, online advertising and an interactive microsite. The amount of the budget was not disclosed. 

Two television ads, which will both run nationally, include both :30 and :15 second spots, as well as a :30 Hispanic spot. Set to a catchy jingle, the first spot is entitled "Anthem" and features fast paced imagery of coins being collected from under couch cushions, in pockets, and cars. After the friends collect their change, they meet up in a Taco Bell drive thru and order a variety of products from the 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu. 

The second spot, entitled "Bunch of Beef," highlights the new 89 cent Cheesy Double Beef Burrito in a fresh twist that echoes Internet drive thru rap videos. Two guys pull into a Taco Bell drive thru and approach the speaker box. Shot from the angle of the front passenger seat, the driver looks back at his friend in the backseat and says, "Yo, gimme the beat." As the passenger starts beat boxing, the driver begins rapping his order, including an 89 cent Cheesy Double Beef Burrito from the 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu. A :15 version of "Bunch of Beef" is also planned. Both spots were created by Draftfcb in Irvine, California. 

The :30 Hispanic spot, called "Vendor," features a customer in a Taco Bell asking what he can buy with the change in his hand. As the employee steps aside, a vendor boy-or Mexican lottery vendor-reviews the menu, calling out the items in his street vendor style. After the customer orders and eats his burrito, the vendor boy continues to explain the 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu, to which the customer replies, "Here we go again." The spot was created by Dieste, Harmel & Partners. 

Online, the 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu will be supported with online banners and a MySpace homepage takeover that features bold colors and graphics from the menu itself. Banners will direct traffic to 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu microsite, which includes three sections. In the first section-"The Why Pay Mo' Rhyme Generator"-visitors are introduced to a rap group whose heads are comprised of coins featuring U.S. Presidents. Washington, Lincoln, Jackson and Roosevelt rap about how easy it is to enjoy the new 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu at Taco Bell. Visitors can customize rap lyrics to include their names and up to three of their friends' names and can personalize the experience even more by uploading up to four faces onto rapping coins. 

The second interactive section is the "Rap Name Generator." Ever wonder what your Value Menu rap name might be? Sir Chew-It-Up? Mista Tiny Crunch? Maybe Mini Crunchy A-Bomb? Enter your name, favorite value menu item and appetite level, and instantly get a personalized rap name. 

Finally, to explore the 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu and learn about each item's delicious attributes as well as nutritional information, visit www.tacobell.com/valuemenu. 

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(r), in addition to the 79-89-99 Why Pay More(tm) Value Menu. Taco Bell serves more than 36.8 million consumers each week in nearly 5,600 restaurants in the U.S.