SOURCE: Draftfcb

 

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - July 25, 2008) - Taco Bell's Taco Fu, an advergame created by Agency of Record Draftfcb Orange County, has surpassed the five million game play mark. The official tally as of midnight on July 24, 2008 stood at 5,414,607. The game can be found at www.tacobell.com/tacofu/.

Launched in September 2007, Taco Fu pits players against an evil, hungry horde of "luchadores" as they attempt to steal your Taco Bell food. The average session for each player is just less than two minutes, while the average cost per game play is far less than a penny.

In April, the game was awarded Best Use of Rich Media at the 11th Annual ad:tech Awards.

"Simple ideas can pay big dividends, and Taco Fu is a perfect example of the equal importance Draftfcb places on creativity and accountability," said Sean Hardwick, SVP, group management director at Draftfcb Orange County. "Not only has the game received more than five million game plays since its debut, but when forwarded to friends as a game challenge, it receives an impressive 20 percent click-thru."

During its initial launch, Taco Fu was supported online through a banner campaign, including intermittent Viacom and ESPN placements. The traditional banners performed at a click-thru rate of 12 times higher than industry average.

"Taco Fu provides consumers with an engaging, 'lean-forward' brand experience, which we believe is worth between two and 10 times as much as a 'lean-back' experience," said Scott Johnson, EVP, Global Executive Creative Director, Interactive at Draftfcb. "We're excited to continue watching Taco Fu's success, and we look forward to further leveraging this investment by growing its accessibility."

The development of the application was done by Dallas-based Blackdot.

About Taco Bell Corp.

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.

About Draftfcb

Launched in 2006, Draftfcb is a modern agency model for clients seeking creative, accountable marketing programs that build business and deliver a high Return on Ideas™. With more than 130 years of combined expertise, the company has its roots in both consumer advertising and behavioral, data-driven direct marketing. The agency is the first global, behavior-based, fully inclusive, highly creative and accountable marketing communications organization to operate against a single P&L. The Draftfcb network spans 97 countries, with more than 9,600 employees worldwide, and is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit www.draftfcb.com.