In October, Taco Bell enlisted comedian/actor Pete Davidson to apologize for the brand “going too far” with its breakfast innovation, noting that the morning is no time for such intensity.
The campaign was apparently a wild success. During parent company Yum Brands’ Q4 earnings call in February, CEO David Gibbs said Davidson helped “drive consumer buzz” for breakfast, which led to a 9% transaction growth during the daypart.
As they say, if it’s not broken, there is no need to fix it. And so, Taco Bell announced today it is partnering with Davidson once again to promote breakfast, though this time he will play the part of “Peter Davidson” to denote a “toned down persona." In the ad, titled “Breakfast with Peter,” Davidson will switch from his nighttime comedian role to a morning show host. As the company states, “Peter embodies everything that mornings should be: simple, welcoming and never over-the-top before 11 a.m. – just like Taco Bell’s approach to breakfast.”
"Our refreshed approach to simpler breakfast habits started with Pete and we're thrilled to be continuing our journey with him and his Peter-persona,” Sean Tresvant, Taco Bell's chief global brand officer, said in a statement. "The engagement and reactions from our fans have demonstrated that this renewed approach is resonating with our audience and we look forward to continuing to deliver delicious and comforting breakfast foods when they spend their mornings with us."
Previously, Tresvant said that the pivot in Taco Bell’s breakfast strategy aligns with consumers’ morning mentality by focusing on ease and familiarity. The Davidson campaign coincides with Taco Bell’s national launch, earlier this month, of the California Breakfast Crunchwrap, with eggs, bacon, has browns, diced tomatoes and guacamole wrapped in a grilled tortilla. The offering joins the Bacon Crunchwrap and Sausage Crunchwrap options on the menu.The morning menu now includes its Crunchwraps, a breakfast quesadilla, breakfast burritos, hash browns and coffee.
Taco Bell first launched breakfast in 2014. The daypart was largely paused during the pandemic in 2020 but has since made a strong return. A new report from Circana shows that total restaurant traffic during the breakfast daypart has fully recovered from pandemic losses. Morning meal restaurant visits grew by 10% in February compared to a year ago and are up 2% versus three years ago.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]