Taco Bell launches promotion for indie rockers

Taco Bell Corp. has launched a promotion to highlight up-and-coming independent rock bands.

Through its "Feed the Beat" promotion, Taco Bell will highlight the work of 100 indie acts, the restaurant chain announced in a news release.

The acts, selected through a nationwide search, each will receive $500 in Taco Bell Bucks. Their music also will be featured on a Web site,www.feedthebeat.com.

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Three winning bands will work with an indie rock producer to record a single.

The singles will be promoted on the Feed The Beat andwww.tacobell.comWeb sites, in-store signage and taco sauce packets, beginning in the spring of 2009.

More than 35 million customers eat at Taco Bell's 5,600 restaurants each week, Taco Bell said in the release.

"Taco Bell is a fan of great music and Feed the Beat is all about the bands," Taco Bell chief marketing officer David Owens said in the release. "This program recognizes talented bands who are on the rise. We want to leverage our marketing muscle to help give these rockers a shot, while introducing our customers to some new music."

Bands can fill out an online submission form by Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Feed the Beat Web site. Bands must be on tour in Fall 2009 and have a Web page or MySpace page.

Winners will be announced Thursday, Oct. 9.

This is the third year for the promotion. Previous winners include Girl Talk, We Are the Fury, Meriwether, Manchester Orchestra, the Myriad, Amber Pacific, Daphne Loves Derby and Prospect Hill. Others, including A Day to Remember, BlameShift, Mayday Parade and Dropout Year, currently are featured on the Vans Warped Tour, a national touring music festival.

Irvine-based Taco Bell is a division of Yum Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM), which also is the parent company of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Long John Silver's, A&W Restaurants and Pizza Hut.