“Feed the Beat Begins Its Third Nationwide Search to Feed 100 Bands;
Three Bands To Receive Marketing Support for New Single”

IRVINE, CA (Taco Bell Corp.) September 4, 2008 — Cramped tour buses, bare bones budgets and dizzying tour schedules are all rites of passage for up-and-coming bands trying to catch their lucky break. For indie rock acts on the rise, Taco Bell® is back to “Feed the Beat” in the hope of helping bands achieve their biggest dreams, including getting valuable marketing support to push a new breakthrough single.

Taco Bell announced today that its Feed the Beat program returns for a third year, rewarding winning bands with free Fourthmeals –- the late night meal between dinner and breakfast -– to fuel indie rockers on tour. Taco Bell will conduct a nationwide search for 100 bands — up from 50 in 2007 — and provide them with one month’s supply of Fourthmeal ($500 in $5 Taco Bell Bucks per band) while they are on tour.

New for 2008, Taco Bell will also dedicate marketing resources to support Feed the Beat bands. A new interactive Feed the Beat Virtual Music Fest Web site will debut this fall at www.feedthebeat.com and feature music, helping to build a valuable fan base and coalesce a community for these up-and-coming acts. The centerpiece of the site is a “Best of the Beat” competition where three bands will win a larger prize package and drive even more exposure for their careers.

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These three winning bands will work with Taco Bell to identify and hire a well-known indie rock producer to record a single for them. The singles will then be promoted on www.feedthebeat.com and through online advertising and in-store efforts in the Spring of 2009, as the Web site address will be featured on Taco Bell’s iconic Sauce Packet, which reaches more than 208 million people in about a month. More than 35 million customers come through Taco Bell’s 5,600 restaurants every week.

“Taco Bell is a fan of great music, and Feed the Beat is all about the bands,” said David Ovens, chief marketing officer, Taco Bell Corp. “This program recognizes talented bands who are on the rise. We want to leverage our marketing muscle to help give these rockers a shot, while introducing our customers to some new music.”

Bands from across the country that are touring this fall can fill out an online submission form by Thursday, September 18, at www.feedthebeat.com to apply for Taco Bell’s free food tour support. Feed the Beat bands will be announced on Thursday, October 9 with the launch of www.feedthebeat.com. Eligible alternative or indie rock bands need to have a dedicated fan base, be on tour during the fall and have either a band Web page or MySpace page.

For more information and full rules, bands can check out www.feedthebeat.com for the entire band submission criteria and guidelines. There is no fee to enter the contest. Registration process begins September 4, 2008 at 12:00:01 a.m. (ET) and ends September 18, 2008 at 11:59:59 p.m. (ET). Band members must be 18 years or older to enter and located in the 50 United States or District of Columbia. Void where prohibited.

Feed the Beat alumni bands include some of the hottest touring acts today including Girl Talk, We Are the Fury, Meriwether, Manchester Orchestra, the Myriad, Amber Pacific, Daphne Loves Derby and Prospect Hill. Numerous Feed the Beat alumni bands are on this year’s Van’s Warped Tour billing, congrats to A Day to Remember, BlameShift, Mayday Parade and Dropout Year.

“This campaign is great because they give us free food with no strings attached, just to help out the bands. They don’t even ask that we mention it to our fans or advertise, but we’re pretty excited, so I wanted to let you know that Taco Bell is awesome,” said Massachusetts-based band After the Sirens.

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Fourthmeal is the late night meal between dinner and breakfast that includes four signature tastes and textures found only at Taco Bell. Consumers seeking “outside the bun” late night choices will find crunchy, spicy, melty and grilled taste experiences during Fourthmeal at participating Taco Bell locations.

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

For more information contact Rob Poetsch / Will Bortz with Taco Bell Corp.: Ph. 949.863.3915; e-mail [email protected] or [email protected]. Or contact Rob Novickas / Lauren Lloyd with Cohn & Wolfe: Ph. 310.967.2959 or 310.967.2971; e-mail [email protected] or [email protected].

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