There seems to be no end to this fast food breakfast war. This time, it's Taco Bell's turn to put on the boxing gloves.
The Associated Press reported that the feisty Mexican fast-food chain released a new commercial Monday that takes another jab at McDonald's. After launching its breakfast menu on March 27th, the company also released an ad that featured real men named Ronald McDonald endorsing the new Taco Bell menu.
Now,Taco Bell's new ad makes McDonald's the butt of the joke, while challenging the fast food chain signature breakfast item, the Egg McMuffin. In the commercial titled, "Get with the Times," a man obsessed with the 80's sports a pastel T-shirt with a taupe blazer and a mullet.
Using the "Old McDonald" tune as its soundtrack, the man sings: "I've been eating Egg McMuffins since 1984. But when I saw Taco Bell made a Waffle Taco, I figured I would get with the times." After trying the waffle tacos, the man trims his mullet, changes up his clothing, updates his phone to a smartphone and takes down his "Loverboy" poster.
Taco Bell displays the Egg McMuffin as hopelessly outdated and encourages customers to "get with the times." Taco Bell offers four main attractions on its new menu - the A.M. Crunchwrap, a breakfast burrito, a grilled taco and the waffle taco.
"We have to do things to grab attention," Chris Brandt, Taco Bell's chief marketing officer, said during a phone interview, according to the AP. "We're trying to position ourselves as the next generation of breakfast."
Taco Bell executives stated that its current ad is only the beginning in its fast food breakfast war with McDonald's. Brandt said calling McDonald's out directly was a part of chain's "disruptive" marketing plan. Brandt said the company is very pleased with the eatery's breakfast sales.
McDonald's, which owns a 25 percent share of the fast food breakfast market, responded to Taco Bell's Ronald McDonald ad by tweeting an image of its Ronald McDonald clown petting a Chihuahua, the signature dog used in a number of Taco bell ads. McDonald's captioned the photo: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."
So, who will win the breakfast wars?