Taco Bell has taken more than a page from McDonald’s marketing strategies — it’s tapped into the power of the leading character, the Ronald McDonald clown.
The taco chain’s newest advertising campaign, set to air Thursday, features a variety of men with a common denominator: They all have the same last name of McDonald, The Associated Press reported. The hamburger fast-food giant uses the famous clown for its main mascot.
The ad agency for Taco Bell found about 400 men and women with the name McDonald and chose a couple dozen for the ad spots. The men are shown in the ads giving their reactions to Taco Bell’s newest breakfast fare, AP reported.
The ad agency made clear: “These Ronald McDonalds are not affiliated with McDonald’s Corporation and were individually selected as paid endorsers of Taco Bell Breakfast,” AP reported.
Taco Bell hopes the humor might help sell its new breakfast menu, complete with a waffle taco. The chain is owned by Yum Brands Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., and touts about 6,000 facilities across the United Nations.
McDonald’s is No. 1 when it comes to fast-food breakfast sales, however, leading the restaurant field with a 31 percent share, AP reported.
Meanwhile, Yum reported that test sales of Taco Bell’s breakfast items in select markets only yielded about 4 percent in sales.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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