Would The Real Ronald McDonald Please Stand Up? Taco Bell Takes Shot At Biggest Competitor

Taco Bell is taking a direct shot at McDonald’s to launch its new breakfast menu, using the fast food giant’s favorite namesake “Ronald McDonald” in a series of TV ads. “It’s not surprising these guys are loving Taco Bell’s new Waffle Taco…what is surprising is who they are,” says the voiceover in one of Taco Bell’s […]

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Taco Bell Ronald McDonald screen capture

Taco Bell is taking a direct shot at McDonald’s to launch its new breakfast menu, using the fast food giant’s favorite namesake “Ronald McDonald” in a series of TV ads.

“It’s not surprising these guys are loving Taco Bell’s new Waffle Taco…what is surprising is who they are,” says the voiceover in one of Taco Bell’s latest commercials.

Who they are turns out to be a number of people named Ronald McDonald, all enjoying Taco Bell’s new breakfast menu.

In response to Taco Bell’s campaign, McDonald’s set the record straight on Twitter yesterday, posting a picture of its “Mayor McCheese” character holding a press conference to confirm Ronald McDonald does, in fact, still prefer McDonald’s.

Taco Bell’s new campaign also included an AMA on Reddit with the restaurant’s President Brian Niccol. Generating nearly 8,500 comments in less than 24 hours, Reddit proved to be a popular platform for Taco Bell fans.

Here’s one of the new Taco Bell ads featuring multiple people named Ronald McDonald:


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About the author

Amy Gesenhues
Contributor
Amy Gesenhues was a senior editor for Third Door Media, covering the latest news and updates for Marketing Land, Search Engine Land and MarTech Today. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs, SoftwareCEO, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy's articles.

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