Two-Minute Ad Parody “Roosevelts” Provides a Humorous Take on
Culture of Excess; Why Pay More®! Value Menu Encourages Diners to Save
Their Dimes
In tough economic times, with people facing tough decisions, Taco Bell®
wants to remind America that it’s the
leader in offering consumers the most value for their money, and make
you laugh all the way to the bank.
The all-new “Roosevelts” campaign for Taco Bell’s industry-leading “Why
Pay More®!” Value Menu, accomplishes both. Taco Bell will debut a
special, first-ever, two-minute commercial during the 2009 Major League
Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m. EST on FOX, the
summer’s highest rated live sports event. Taco Bell is a proud sponsor
of MLB. The commercial has a specifically designed music video feel, and
was directed by Chris Applebaum, who won the 2007 MTV Video Music Award
for Video of the Year for Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” “Roosevelts” will
continue to air on television via a :30 second edit throughout the
summer. Various versions are also available online at tacobell.com.
The campaign, designed alongside agency partner Draftfcb, parodies a
culture of excess and praises the value of change, as in actual dimes.
The dime signifies the difference between Taco Bell’s 89 cent hero
product on its value menu and other QSR’s 99 cent value items. People
who once enjoyed flashy, over the top spending, have been grounded by
today’s savings needs and are hunting for the best value. Instead of
being “all about the Benjamins” ($100 bills), it’s truly “all about the
Roosevelts” (10 cents).
“We have BIG value news, that silver is the new green and value seekers
need to know that by eating at Taco Bell, they can save their dimes,”
said David Ovens, Chief Marketing Officer, Taco Bell Corp. “We thought
our value proposition would be best brought to light with a humorous
take on excess. Having ‘Roosevelts’ as a long-form ad is perfect summer
entertainment, its humor balanced by the reality that we are the value
destination for those looking to trade up in taste and trade down in
cost.”
Taco Bell® first redefined value when it introduced its three-tiered
menu scale in 1988, and today, value menus are increasingly relevant for
cost-conscious consumers. By offering its permanent Why Pay More® Value
Menu at three price points - 79, 89 and 99 cents - Taco Bell is
challenging America to trade their burgers for burritos and encouraging
diners to save their dimes.
