| Taco Bell has teamed up with basketball star LeBron James for a new 30-second ad dubbed a "liberation effort" of the "Taco Tuesday" trademark. The phrase "Taco Tuesday" was trademarked by U.S. fast food franchise Taco John's in 1989. - Taco
John's owns the trademark over "Taco Tuesday" in 49 states and is,
therefore, the only business with the right to use the phrase as an
advertising slogan. In New Jersey, a local restaurant called Gregory's
has trademarked the term.
- The
new 30-second ad is called "Taco Bleep" and shows LeBron James saying,
"You know what it is! It's Taco Bleep", and the bleep sound censors the
word "Tuesday." The basketball star then complains about how ridiculous
it is that someone owns "Taco Tuesday."
- While
the ad is meant to be comical, Taco Bell is serious about wanting to
use "Taco Tuesday" freely and has even asked customers to sign a Freeing
Taco Tuesday petition.
- The
fast food chain has also filed a separate petition with the U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office to cancel the "Taco Tuesday" trademark.
- The
Yum Brands chain argues that it is not trying to gain exclusive use
over the term but believes it is a commonly used phrase that a single
entity shouldn't own.
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