Rapper 50 Cent once sued Taco Bell for $4 million over a marketing joke that backfired

Fast food chains have faced lawsuits for various reasons including meals that made customers sick or even the wrong portion size. Although celebrities promoting fast food chains isn't uncommon, featuring someone in a campaign without their consent is bound to trigger a legal battle. Taco Bell learned this the hard way when it launched a quirky campaign to promote its budget-friendly options featuring 50 Cent, without asking the rapper if he was on board. 

A Joke That Fell Flat

It all started when Taco Bell launched an ad campaign titled, "Why Pay More?" to promote its value menu through which the Yum! Brands chain introduced items priced at $.79, $.89, and $.99.

As a joke for the campaign, the brand decided to ask 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, to change his name to 79, 89, or 99 Cent for a day and rap about the products. In exchange, Taco Bell offered to donate $10,000 to any charity of the rapper's choice.

The company wrote a dummy letter from Taco Bell's President Greg Creed detailing the request. It all went wrong for the fast food chain when Taco Bell circulated the letter in the media but forgot to share it with 50 Cent to ask for his permission.

As a result, the rapper who was at the peak of his career, sued Taco Bell for $4 million for using his name and persona without permission. The lawsuit accused the Mexican-style fast food chain of “diluting the value of his good name” for their guerrilla advertising campaign.

A spokesman for Taco Bell, Rob Poetsch, defended the campaign saying, “We 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.”

However, the lawsuit filed in the Manhattan federal court argued that many customers believed that 50 Cent had endorsed Taco Bell’s products while he didn't even know about the campaign, CNBC reported.

At the time, 50 Cent told E! Online, “When my legal team is finished with them, Taco Bell is going to have a new corporate slogan: ‘We messed with the bull and got the horns'." A year later, the two parties settled the lawsuit, without disclosing the terms.

This wasn't the first time that 50 Cent sued someone. The "Candy Shop" rapper recently revealed that he is rather quick with filing lawsuits and has spent millions in legal fees. Appearing on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, 50 Cent said that he has spent about $24 million on legal fees throughout his long career. “Just on lawyers – I’ve spent $24m in my career on legal fees," he said. 

He further added that he sends out legal notices to anyone who annoys him for "recreational purposes." He said that he doesn't have a manager to handle his record and business deals but he always keeps a "general counsel" around him for legal advice.