Defeat the Dark Side


Plot summary


In 32 BBY, the Battle of Naboo breaks out on the planet of Naboo. KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell join forces to aid in the fight against the dark side.

Harland Sanders


Colonel Harland Sanders

Colonel Harland Sanders

Colonel Harland Sanders is a spectacle-wearing human male who was born around 97 BBY. A known lightsaber-wielder, Sanders is a strong and determined individual and a fierce opponent of the dark side.

Sanders founded KFC, an establishment that serves buckets of chicken that were prepared using a secret recipe. Sanders fights in the Battle of Naboo alongside Pizza Hut Girl and the Chihuahua.

Alexis


Alexis

Alexis

Alexis, also known as the Pizza Hut Girl, is a Human female slicer, martial arts expert, and experienced user of blaster pistols. Prior to joining the forces of Pizza Hut, she worked for Micro-Tech, Inc. as a "hardware tester" (a euphemism for slicer), and for 2-Rock Concert Promotions as "crowd control." Her studies took her far from home to places such as Hong Kong and Tunisia. She was the youngest female graduate of the Citadel.

At twenty-three years old, the heroine discovered a calling that combined her mastery of Tae Kwon Do and her love of pizza—working for Pizza Hut as a fighter for all things covered in cheese and tomato sauce. She seeks to apply her immense knowledge of the dark side to defeating the Sith Lords. Upon joining forces with Pizza Hut, she has become allies with Harland Sanders and the Chihuahua in an effort to defeat the dark side at the Battle of Naboo.

The Chihuahua


The Chihuahua

The Chihuahua

The Chihuahua is a male chihuahua dog who is fighting the dark side around the time of the Battle of Naboo. His lifelong devotion to tacos contributed to developing his natural skills of navigation, negotiation, and deviousness.

Battling the dark side is something the Chihuahua rationalizes in accordance with his primary goal: when the universe is free, the tacos are free. He also seeks to master the Jedi mind trick in his pursuit of tacos, specifically those sold by Taco Bell.

Development


The Defeat the Dark Side campaign included seven television spots, toys and cup toppers available at the restaurants, a website, and a limited-time sweepstakes game. The sweepstakes game required visiting all three Tricon Global restaurants for a chance to win prizes such as a Lincoln Navigator vehicle, one million dollars, or a Star Wars hovercraft speeder. During the sweepstakes, the restaurants were aligned to different planets: KFC with Naboo, Pizza Hut with Coruscant, and Taco Bell with Tatooine.

Reception


According to Tricon Global's chairman and chief executive, Andrall Pearson, the tie-in marketing campaign was not effective at driving sales to the three restaurant chains and appeared to have stalled momentum from prior quarters. The failure was attributed to the market's supersaturation, with Star Wars merchandise available at many retailers in advance of the film. The campaign was reportedly considered a failure by Lucasfilm Ltd. as well, and they did not partner with Tricon for the next prequel film.

Appearances