Last year Taco Bell made a splash for its Beefy Crunch Burrito relaunch by becoming one of the then-few brands to join Snapchat.
So what does the fast food brand have in mind for its breakfast introduction?
Feature phones.
The brand is in the process of mailing out about 1,000 Samsung T404G phones from HipCricket to superfans and influencers. Recipients of the "Breakfast Phones" will be given various missions to complete in the hopes of winning prize including a Waffle Taco button-down shirt or hoodie, a set of A.M. Crunchwrap sheets with hashbrown pajamas and free Taco Bell breakfast for a year. The company is mum about the exact missions because it doesn't want to give them away beforehand. The phones began hitting some fans on March 19.
See also: How Taco Bell Is Exploiting Snapchat Stories
The program supports the national launch of Taco Bell Breakfast next month.
"We just wanted to do something that would be really personal," says Tressie Lieberman, director, digital marketing and platforms. "We're calling them every day. You never know when the phone will ring." Taco Bell identified the superfans by their activity in social media and their fealty to the brand.
As hoped, the program has generated a bit of discussion in social media including on Instagram:


And on Twitter:
Holy shit I got a @TacoBell breakfast phone
— DILLONFRANCIS (@DILLONFRANCIS) March 19, 2014
So @tacobell sent me a “breakfast phone” in the mail - pic.twitter.com/yMCIDvtQbu
— Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) March 19, 2014
Lieberman, who came over to Taco Bell in 2012 from Pizza Hut, has made a point of experimenting with social media beyond Facebook and Twitter. In addition to pioneering the use of Snapchat for marketing, she was also behind early appearances on Vine and Pheed. The efforts helped the brand post eight consecutive increases in same-store sales, making it a bright spot for parent company Yum Brands, which has been struggling.