The Forgotten Taco Bell Spokesperson Who Paved The Way For Pete Davidson

There's a new Taco Bell ad where Saturday Night Live's Pete Davidson trades his usual late-night comedy trappings for the sunny smiles of his new morning show "Breakfast w/ Peter". Comedian and tabloid darling Davidson's attempt to present a daytime TV-safe performance is the metaphorical hook for Taco Bell's new "toned down and simple" breakfast options. This is far from the first time that Taco Bell has promoted its menu via a celebrity. In fact, this is a trend that dates back more than 30 years, to the year before Davidson was born, when the Man in Black himself, music legend Johnny Cash, was Taco Bell's spokesperson for a time.

We may think of him as one of the original lovable outlaws now, but back in 1992, Cash was neither the stadium-packing rockstar of the past nor the beloved elder statesman poet that he became. In fact, he had been dropped from his long-time record label back in the mid-80s and struggled to make a comeback. In short, he was a man down on his luck and Taco Bell was happy to help.

The ad is simple and effective — nowhere has more choices for under a dollar than Taco Bell — and it perfectly uses Cash's surname and smooth baritone to make that point. But, bizarrely enough, Cash wasn't the only member of the iconic country music supergroup "The Highwaymen" to make a Taco Bell commercial that year.

While Johnny Cash was in a creative funk, Willie Nelson was in trouble with the IRS. They seized Nelson's assets in 1990, and loyal fans will know that he paid much of his $9 million bill thanks to the album "The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories?". Less remembered is a Taco Bell ad, which surely helped as well. In the ad, Nelson weaves the tale of "The Woman with the Rose Tattoo" a kind of steak taco evangelist, who feeds lonely travelers with grub so good they'll remember it forever. 

In a lot of ways, Cash and Nelson helped pave the way for Pete Davidson's current partnership with Taco Bell. Whereas they put their musical talents to good use, Davidson is using his comedy and going against the grain for the new promotion. 

"Breakfast w/Peter" is the second time the Staten Island icon and Taco Bell have collaborated to promote their early-morning menu. The first ad, where Davidson apologizes for Taco Bell's wild breakfast promotions in the past, was a roaring success. On an earnings call with investors, the chief executive of parent company Yum Brands linked Davidson to Taco Bell's 9% transaction growth in late 2022.