PepsiCo announces plans to start selling Taco Bell's Mountain Dew Baja Blast drinks in bottles and cans for limited time starting May 5

Nevin Barich

PURCHASE, New York , April 23, 2014 (PR Newswire) – DEW Nation's most requested flavor expands from restaurant to retail when it hits shelves starting May 5

Mountain Dew announced today that, for the first time, Mtn Dew Baja Blast – which was introduced 10 years ago as a "Taco Bell® Original" – will also be available for a limited time in bottles and cans. The tropical lime flavored beverage will hit shelves starting on May 5. While Mtn Dew Baja Blast is always available at Taco Bell, consumers will have to move fast to buy it at retail, as the fan-favorite will head back to Taco Bell exclusively at the end of the summer…or when supplies run out.

Mtn Dew Baja Blast is the second largest and fastest growing fountain beverage sold at Taco Bell. It is the most requested flavor among the DEW Nation, and has generated more than 30,000 mentions on Twitter in the past three years.

"Mtn Dew Baja Blast has been a fan-favorite for 10 years, and we're thrilled for this first-time opportunity to make it available on store shelves this summer," said Greg Lyons, Vice President of Marketing, Mountain Dew. "We've been humbled by the amount of speculation and consumer buzz around Mtn Dew Baja Blast being bottled and are confident that this limited time offer is going to be a blockbuster!"

"Every week, 36 million people come to Taco Bell and see – or buy – Mtn Dew Baja Blast, and now we're able to expand our reach of this fan-favorite to millions more," said Chris Brandt, Chief Marketing Officer, Taco Bell. "We are all about putting a twist on the traditional, from innovative menu items to exclusive Taco Bell beverages, which is why we'll continue to work with our partners at PepsiCo to find and create the best experiences for our customers."

Mtn Dew Baja Blast will be available in single serve 20 oz. bottles and 24 oz. cans, as well as 12-packs of 12 oz. cans.

On May 5, fans will also be able to download and play the "Baja or Bust" mobile gaming app. Based upon the widely-played Motocross Elite app, "Baja or Bust" will be available for iOS and Android platforms and will:

enable players to enter for a chance to win exciting prizes, including adventure and beach vacations; and

be able to enter codes, available under every cap of Mtn Dew Baja Blast, to unlock in-game upgrades and advantages.

Visit www.MountainDew.com/BajaBlast or Facebook.com/MountainDew for more information, and join the conversation at @mtn_dew #SummerOfBaja and @TacoBell
#SummerOfBaja.

About Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew, a product of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, is the No. 1 flavored carbonated soft drink in the U.S. With its one-of-a-kind citrus taste, Mountain Dew exhilarates and quenches with every sip. In addition to original Mountain Dew® and Diet Mountain Dew®, the permanent DEW product line includes Mountain Dew Code Red®, Mountain Dew LiveWire®, Mountain Dew Throwback®, Mountain Dew Voltage® and Mountain Dew White Out®. For more information, check out www.mountaindew.com, www.facebook.com/mountaindew or follow on twitter @mtn_dew.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also, means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

About Taco Bell Corp.

Taco Bell Corp., a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., (NYSE: YUM), is the nation's leading Mexican-inspired quick service restaurant. Taco Bell serves made to order and customizable tacos, burritos, and specialties such as the exclusive Doritos® Locos Tacos, gourmet- inspired Cantina Bell® Menu and lower calorie Fresco Menu. The company encourages customers to "Live Mas," both through its food and in ways such as its Feed The Beat® music program and its nonprofit organization, the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens™. Taco Bell and its more than 350 franchise organizations have nearly 6,000 restaurants across the United States that proudly serve more than 36 million customers every week.

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