Taco Bell Tried to Rebrand 50 Cent
It Ended in a Lawsuit
Photo: River North Photography
Rapper 50 Cent was seemingly everywhere in the mid-2000s. His hit albums, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” and “The Massacre,” took the country by storm, and nearly everyone was familiar with at least one of his iconic songs. He appeared in commercials for Reebok, Vitamin Water, and other consumer goods, but one popular fast food enterprise attempted to use his name without the artist’s approval. As you might expect, 50 Cent didn’t take kindly to this and promptly sued the chain. In 2008, Taco Bell unveiled an ad campaign promoting the low cost of items within their Why Pay More!? Value Meal. Offering burritos, nachos, and other signature Taco Bell items for 79¢, 89¢, or 99¢ got people’s attention, but their marketing experts thought the campaign needed more punch to drive business. The brand suggested that 50 Cent change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent, or 99 Cent. Unfortunately, Taco Bell did not contact the rapper to see if they could use his name while promoting their new menu. He was bothered by this and filed a lawsuit against the fast food giant. The lawsuit claimed that Taco Bell made 50 Cent the star and focus of their nationwide campaign without seeking or obtaining his authorization. Notebooks and New Beginnings A Post-Divorce Plan for the School Year
A spokesperson for Taco Bell claimed that the company “made a good faith, charitable offer to 50 Cent to change his name to either 79, 89 or 99 Cent for one day by rapping his order at a Taco Bell, and we would have been very pleased to make the $10,000 donation to the charity of his choice.” 50 Cent sued Taco Bell for $4 million. He won the lawsuit, but the settlement terms were not disclosed. This case serves as a great lesson to any business owner. Do not use a celebrity’s name or likeness for a marketing campaign without permission!
HELP YOUR CHILD FIND THEIR VOICE.
Back-to-school season can be hectic for parents and children alike, but the situation can be even more stressful for newly divorced families. If your child’s impending school year will be your first as divorced parents, tackling the social and scheduling challenges of the change requires considerable communication, organization, and grace. Here are three tips to help make the transition as stable for your little student(s) as possible. TEAM UP WITH TEACHERS. As the school year begins, informing your child’s teachers and guidance counselors of the change in your family dynamic is a good idea. Looping them in may help them identify behaviors or emotional responses that could indicate that your child is struggling to adapt to the new structure at home. Even if your young child appears to be handling these changes well when spending time with you or your former spouse, their genuine reaction to recent events may manifest in their actions while away from you, at school. By expanding your support network to include educators, you have more eyes and ears open to see how your child is processing your divorce and to spot red flags that need to be addressed to help them feel and act positively.
If your child hasn’t seen many of their school friends since your divorce, they will likely get plenty of questions from their peers — and perhaps their peers’ parents — about what happened. If your child is reluctant
to discuss the matter with people outside the family, assure them it’s fine to politely refuse to discuss the subject. You may consider role-playing so they feel more comfortable answering or declining questions and more confident expressing themselves in
potentially uncomfortable social situations. CREATE CONSISTENCY IN BOTH HOMES.
Of course, raising school-age children as divorced parents is often as logistically challenging as it is emotionally demanding. If your child will split their time between separate homes this year, ensure each location has a designated space for them to do their homework. This will help your child prioritize their studies regardless of which parent they’re with once class is out for the evening.
2 — rbbfirm.com
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