After two campaigns battling a consumer rights class-action suit filed 1/19 by a law firm on behalf of a Taco Bell customer over false advertising over its “seasoned beef”, Yum Brands is now launching a third touting the suit was voluntarily withdrawn. The national ad campaign will make sure consumers know that it has not changed products, ingredients or advertising despite what the Beasley Allen law firm has claimed. After dropping the class action lawsuit, attorneys at Beasley Allen are now being asked by Taco Bell to set the record straight with America.
The company is placing full page ads in national publications including Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today as well as in local market newspapers including Anniston Star, Birmingham News, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, Montgomery Advertiser, Mobile Press Register and Orange County Register. The company is also executing a campaign to reach Hispanic customers.
To reach consumers online, Taco Bell launched a YouTube video featuring Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed speaking about the withdrawal of the lawsuit. The video will be placed on the company’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/tacobell), Facebook page (www.facebook.com/tacobell), website (www.tacobell.com) and supported with an online campaign on leading search engines and social media.
See the video:
The ad copy reads:
“Would it kill you to say you’re sorry?
The law firm that brought false claims about our product quality and advertising integrity has voluntarily withdrawn their class action suit against Taco Bell.
• No changes to our products or ingredients.
• No changes to our advertising.
• No money exchanged.
• No settlement agreement.
Because we’ve ALWAYS used 100% USDA-inspected premium beef.
Sure, they could have just asked us if our recipe uses real beef. Even easier, they could have gone to our Web site where the ingredients in every one of our products are listed for everyone to see. But that’s not what they chose to do. Like we’ve been saying all along, we stand behind the quality of every single one of our ingredients, including our seasoned beef. We didn’t change our marketing or product disclosures because we’ve always been completely transparent. Their lawyers may claim otherwise, but make no mistake, that’s just them trying to save a little face.
We were surprised by these allegations, as were our 35 million customers who come into our restaurants every week. We hope the voluntary withdrawal of this lawsuit receives as much public attention as when it was filed. As for the lawyers who brought this suit: You got it wrong, and you’re probably feeling pretty bad right about now. But you know what always helps? Saying to everyone, “I’m sorry.”
C’mon, you can do it!”
