This month, Taco Bell made noise at the Winter X Games by showcasing the talents of some of its most loyal late-night diners: musicians.

The activation is part of the food chain’s effort to tap into the independent music community to create brand affinity among groups that typically stop in for an after-hours bite—or the fourthmeal, as Taco Bell calls it.

The fourthmeal concept came out of Taco Bell’s program that lightens the financial burden of up-and-coming bands as they tour from town to town on skyrocketing gas prices. For a month, Taco Bell picked up select bands’ fourthmeals. That program evolved into Feed The Beat, a grassroots word-of-mouth program that extended the fourthmeal to additional bands. More than 100 bands now participate and provide content for feedthebeat.com.

“The objective is brand affinity,” Will Bortz, manager p.r. and sponsorships at Taco Bell told Buzz. “We’re not asking the bands to be overt; it’s more of a relationship basis. It’s a back and forth, we’re-in-this-together approach.”

At the Winter X Games, held Jan. 22 to 25 in Aspen, CO, Taco Bell’s footprint featured live Feed The Beat band performances as well as a chance for consumers to ride its mechanical hot sauce packet (it’s like riding a mechanical bull, but hotter). Branded premiums included cowbells and foam taco hats. The bands got additional exposure by having their tunes featured in highlight reels aired from the X Games on ESPN’s SportsCenter. The reels included a plug for feedthebeat.com. On the website, viewers can learn Feed The Beat program history and buy songs via iTunes. Profits go directly to each respective band. Agency: Intersport, Chicago.

Source: Event Marketer