McDonald’s Out, NBA Makes Run To Taco Bell
Taco purveyor goes from tiny dogs to very tall men
By KURT HELIN
Updated 2:40 PM EDT, Thu, Jul 2, 2009
What do you think of when you think of Taco Bell?
Right. Basketball.
McDonald’s is out and Taco Bell is in as the new fast food sponsor of the NBA. That means during next year’s playoffs the only thing you’ll be more sick of than promos for "The Closer" on TNT will be the ads for the Volcano Chalupa, or whatever Taco Bell’s latest multi-layered re-fried creation will be.
It’s quite shift for the NBA, a league preoccupied with how it is perceived in middle America. McDonald’s is a global icon; they have promoted wholesomeness and calorie-intensive foods all over the globe. Families eat at McDonald's.
Families must eat at Taco Bell, too, but that’s not what one pictures. The image — reinforced by their advertising — is young males making a run for the munchies at 2 a.m. It's an interesting demographic. That could even include some NBA players.
So, it seems a departure for the NBA in terms of image, but at NBA headquarters they have a lot of guys with fancy degrees to worry about their marketing. What do we know?
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Jul 1, 2009 4:12 PM EDT on NBC Los Angeles
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