IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 20, 2013 – Taco Bell®, while best known for selling more than two billion tacos each year, is no stranger to music. With a shared passion for music with thousands of its consumers, and its Feed the Beat® program that has supported more than 600 up-and-coming artists on tour since 2006, the brand continues to help its fans Live Más through exclusive opportunities that connect fans with bands and bands with fans, socially.
 
Today, Feed the Beat (@FeedtheBeat) expands its relationship with fans and support for music by introducing a documentary film, “Hello Everywhere,” that explores a new era of music discovery as revealed by two bands from the program and uncovered by acclaimed director Sam Jones(@RSAFilms). Fans will experience an exclusive look at indie success story Passion Pit(@PassionPit) and emerging indie artist Wildcat! Wildcat! (@WildcatWildcat) as the behind-the-scenes film reveals surprising similarities and candid differences in their careers right now.
 
The Feed the Beat “rockumentary” project was filmed at South by Southwest® (SXSW®) 2013 where music, interactive and film merge, and it documents the bands’ experiences leading up to one epic show at Hype Machine’s Hype Hotel on March 11, 2013. The 50-minute film, also featuring performances from the bands during SXSW, will be released on Aug. 25 free to fans on VEVO®, a partner of the film. The trailer is available on FeedtheBeat.com.
 
“We saw an incredible opportunity to bring together two Feed the Beat artists – both who embody the definition of Live Más everyday – with Sam Jones for an event in front of thousands of fans online and at SXSW 2013 to create ‘Hello Everywhere,’” said Brian Niccol, president of Taco Bell Corp. “Feed The Beat evolved from our friends and fans’ love of music, and Jones has done a tremendous job capturing behind-the-scenes footage and fan-made content to create an intriguing experience that tells the stories and passion it takes to reach your dreams.”
 
With tens of millions of followers in social media, Taco Bell understands the immediate and direct online access between brands and fans. This same connection exists between fans and bands, and inspired the film’s name and overall thematic as Director Sam Jones explains: “The name of the film ‘Hello Everywhere’ takes the familiar local greeting from bands on stage and updates it for the socially-connected world we live in, which is what the documentary uncovers through story after story from fans and Passion Pit and Wildcat! Wildcat!. The film will give fans and other up-and-coming artists a unique look at the evolving road to success bands experience in this new age of discovery for the music industry.” DigitasLBi, Taco Bell's lead digital agency, is responsible for supporting digital and social media campaign components.
 
To support the rockumentary, Taco Bell will premiere a 30 second television spot during MTV’s Video Music Awards.
 
About the Film: “Hello Everywhere”
“Hello Everywhere” includes footage – backstage access, cameras on the tour bus and intimate sit down conversations – that explores how access through social media impacts music discovery both for bands and fans. Both Passion Pit and Wildcat! Wildcat! discuss how platforms, such as Twitter, have become vital for bands to create a direct dialogue and share music with fans. The film simultaneously showcases the fans’ perspectives of the concert and social relationships with bands as captured during the SXSW performance using #FeedTheBeat.
 
Taco Bell has revealed exclusive clips of the film leading up to the premiere, such as Passion Pit Live at SXSW 'Take a Walk' and The Barrier is Broken, which were shared directly with select fans. As a sponsor of the '2013 MTV Video Music Awards,” this Sunday, Taco Bell will release “Hello Everywhere” on the biggest music weekend of the year on FeedTheBeat.com and VEVO, the world’s top music video platform, and will later be released on Sony Pictures Television's digital entertainment network, Crackle. Additionally, Wildcat! Wildcat! will kick-off the weekend by opening the MTV VMA Pre-Party on Aug. 24 performing songs from their self-titled debut EP which will be released Sept. 10 on Downtown Records as the band continues their journey towards success.

About Taco Bell’s Feed The Beat Program
Feed The Beat began in 2006 as an organic effort to help feed up-and-coming artists on tour by giving them Taco Bell gift cards. The program continues with the same organic roots, still giving Feed The Beat artists Taco Bell gift cards, but has since expanded with innovative ways to leverage the brand’s relationships with network partners and sponsorships, involve Taco Bell’s strong online presence – a crowd of more than ten million fans, and feature Feed The Beat artists’ music in the brand’s commercials. In 2012, Passion Pit’s hit song, “Take A Walk,” was featured in a commercial for Taco Bell’s Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos as part of the band’s involvement in the Feed The Beat program.

In June 2013, 100 new up-and-coming artists from across the United States received $500 in Taco Bell gift cards to keep their hunger satisfied on the road while touring as Taco Bell again debuted their latest lineup of the Feed The Beat program. The program will again open submissions in 2014; to be eligible, artists need to have a dedicated fan base, be on tour during the fall and have a dedicated Web page. Additional details on Feed The Beat and a list of all current and alumni artists are available onwww.FeedTheBeat.com. Previous Feed The Beat artists include: Andrew W.K., Gym Class Heroes, Fun., Girl Talk, Best Coast, Walk The Moon, Young The Giant, Portugal. The Man, Wavves, Dr. Dog and more.

About Passion Pit
Passion Pit is the brainchild of Michael Angelakos. Michael's touring band consists of Ian Hultquist, Jeff Apruzzese, Xander Singh, and Chris Hartz. The band has been hot on the indie scene since forming in 2007 after Angelakos created the Chunk of Change EP. Less than a year later Passion Pit released their debut album Manners to critical and commercial acclaim. They followed up with their sophomore LP Gossamer in July 2012. During the release of their debut album, the band started a relationship with Feed The Beat and now they’ll share the screen with fellow Feed The Beat artist Wildcat! Wildcat! in the documentary film “Hello Everywhere” directed by Sam Jones.

About Wildcat! Wildcat!
Wildcat! Wildcat! is Jesse Taylor (vocals, bass), Michael Wilson (vocals, keys) and Jesse Carmichael (vocals, drums). The trio played together in various incarnations before officially forming Wildcat! Wildcat! in 2012. Wildcat! Wildcat! is now set to release their self-titled debut EP September 10 on Downtown Records. The band garnered critical praise for their previously released sold-out limited addition 7” on the taste-making label Neon Gold Records, including early support from BBC Radio 1, Time, and NYLON.  The band has toured extensively including SXSW, a sold out west coast headlining run and major U.S. support slots with Alt-J and Portugal. The Man.  
 
About VEVO
VEVO is the world’s leading all-premium music video and entertainment platform. VEVO is available in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Spain and United Kingdom through VEVO.com, the mobile web, Mobile and Tablet Apps(iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone, Windows 8, Kindle Fire), Connected Television (Xbox, Roku, Boxee) and user embeddable video players. VEVO TV, an always-on broadcast-style music and video channel, is also available in the US and Canada within VEVO.com and apps for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows 8, Kindle Fire, Xbox and Roku. In various territories, VEVO powers music videos on artist pages across Facebook, as well as syndicates to dozens of online sites, including AOL, BET, CBS Interactive Music Group (including Last.fm, Metro Lyrics and MP3.com), Disney Interactive, Fuse.tv, Univision, Viacom Media Networks, Wenner Media and Yahoo! Music.  Additionally, through a special partnership with YouTube, VEVO is accessible in over 200 markets, expanding the platform’s reach around the globe.

About The Hype Machine 
The Hype Machine tracks discussions on hundreds of music blogs around the world, and presents them for easy consumption, analysis, and discovery. In its 8th year of operation, the Brooklyn-based company has been credited with launching the careers of bands like Foster the People, and is considered a barometer of breaking bands within the music industry. Fall in love with something new athttp://hypem.com.