Taco BellFoundation helps the next generation recognize their full potential with launchof its first-ever teen marketing campaign and announces June 10th annualGraduate for Más Time Square Yearbook with Get Schooled

Irvine, Calif. (June 4, 2015) – High school graduation isthe ignition point for the rest of teens’ lives. To drive awareness,inspiration and support in reaching this critical milestone, the Taco BellFoundation has launched #RecognizePotential, its first and largest-evermarketing campaign aimed at inspiring more teens to ignite their full potential– beginning with earning a high school diploma.

“When teens don’t graduate, potential is lost,” said BrianNiccol, chief executive officer, Taco Bell Corp. “As a brand, we don’t comeinto neighborhoods and build restaurants; we build and empower communities tohave an impact where people live, work and play. The #RecognizePotentialcampaign and helping the next generation of leaders tap into their potentialand earn their diploma is a huge part of that. It’s our mission to invest inteens, our team members, our customers and in our communities.”

#RecognizePotential

#RecognizePotential calls on teens to share and celebrate their potentialonline via the campaign hashtag, in their communities and in Taco Bellrestaurants nationwide.

Taco Bell partnered with Deutsch L.A. to develop#RecognizePotential and the impactful visuals that are being featured on TacoBell’s social channels and in Taco Bell restaurants nationwide to raiseawareness for Taco Bell’s commitment to teens. The campaign includes a nationalfundraiser in all 6,000 Taco Bell locations through June 8th, driving awarenessof unrecognized potential across its 42 million weekly customers.

National GraduationDay
In celebration of graduating high school seniors that have recognized theirpotential, Taco Bell is announcing June 6th as National Graduation Day. Tocelebrate the day, graduates can receive a free Doritos Locos Taco by bringingin the National Graduation Day Ad and their high school ID to their local TacoBell restaurant. Taco Bell will share the ad on Facebook and Twitter the weekof June 1st, including instructions on how to redeem the offer.

From#RecognizePotential to #GraduateforMas
To culminate Taco Bell’s celebration of teens and graduation season, Taco BellFoundation joined forces again with its partner, Get Schooled, and invitedteens to share their compelling testimonies, which will be featured in theannual Graduatefor Más Times Square Yearbook. More than 600 teens will be spotlighted inthe largest virtual yearbook on billboards in the middle of Times Square, NewYork City on June 10.

Of those teens, 60students will be invited to take over surprise celebrity guests, Taco BellFoundation, and Get Schooled in the ultimate graduation celebration. Teens willparticipate in a VIP conversation with Taco Bell CEO Brian Niccol as anopportunity to have their voices heard, before celebrating their achievementsand seeing their photos appear live on the jumbo screens in Times Square. Atotal of 250 teens who participate in the virtual yearbook will each receive$1,000 in educational scholarships from Taco Bell Foundation.

Taco Bell Foundationand Get Schooled have a shared passion for igniting the next generation ofleaders and helping teens stay on track to achieve their goals. Together, TacoBell Foundation and Get Schooled launched the Graduate for Más campaign in 2013to inspire teens to make a personal commitment to graduate high school andreceive access to digital tools, support and an online community to help themstay on track. Today, more than 350,000 teens have made the promise tograduate.

For more informationon #RecognizePotential and the Taco Bell Foundation, visit Recognize-Potential.org.

About Taco BellFoundation
Taco Bell Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) public benefit corporationcommitted to inspiring and enabling America’s teens to achieve más through itsprograms, partnerships, and direct financial assistance. Every year, theFoundation serves more than 1 million teens in more than 180 communities acrossthe country and awards more than 300 grants and scholarships focused oneducation and career preparedness. Since 1992, the Foundation has awarded morethan $75 million in support of more than 1,000 teen-serving organizations inthe U.S. through customer, franchisee, employee and vendor-partner donations.For more information visit tacobellfoundation.org.