The Phantom Menace Flashback: Fast Food Premiums for the original and 3D releases

It was Summer of 1999 that Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken unleashed dozens of toy premiums in the US to tie-in with the highly anticipated Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.  These were nicely sculpted and engineered items but the best part about this campaign was the thrill of the hunt!

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace – Defeat The Dark Side (1999)

Restaurant: Taco Bell – Planet Tatooine
Premium: Various Toys, Cup Toppers, posters

• Posters (17″ x 22″)
• Cost: N/A
  • Anakin Skywalker
  • Qui-Gon Jinn
  • Sebulba
  • Darth Maul

• Toys
• Cost: $1.49
  • Sebulba’s Podracer
  • Hovering Watto
  • Joking Jar Jar Binks
  • Planet Tatooine
  • Anakin’s Podracer
  • Anakin Skywalker’s Transforming Bank
  • Levitating Queen’s Royal Ship
  • Walking Sebulba
  • Darth Maul’s Sith Speeder
  • Sith Probe Droid Viewer
  • Anakin Viewer
• Although the ad below states “Collect all 9 toys” there are really 11. Sith Probe Droid Viewer and Anakin Viewer have been omitted.
  

• Cup Toppers
• Cost: $1.99
  • Anakin Skywalker
  • Watto
  • Sebulba
  • Darth Maul

Campaign also included a ‘Defeat The Dark Side’ game where you had to collect 5 sets of medallions consisting of 20 in all. Categories included: ‘The Space Battle’, ‘Seek The Jedi Masters’, ‘Race For Freedom’, ‘Appeal To The Senate’ and ‘Battle For Naboo’.

The Commercial

No Title

No Description

---

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Restaurant: Kentucky Fried Chicken – Planet Naboo
Premium: Various Toys and Cup Toppers

• Toys
• Cost: Included in the Kid’s Meal
  • Planet Naboo
  • Opee Sea Creature Chaser
  • Queen Amidala’s Hidden Identity
  • Naboo Ground Battle
  • Gungan Sub Squirter
  • Jar Jar Binks Squirter
  • Boss Nass Squirter
  • Trade Federation Droid Fighter
  • Anakin Skywalker’s Naboo Fighter
  • Swimming Jar Jar Binks
  • Collapsible Pit Droid (exclusive to Europe)
    

• Cup Toppers
• Cost: $3.99 with the purchase of a large soft drink or combo
  • R2-D2
  • Queen Amidala
  • Captain Tarpals
  • Boss Nass
    

• Flying Bucket Topper
• Cost: $1.99 with any purchase
  • Jar Jar Binks
  • Battle Droid
    

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Restaurant: Pizza Hut – Planet Coruscant
Premium: Various Toys and Cup Toppers

• Toys
• Cost: $.99 cents with pizza purchase
  • Lott Dodd* Walking Throne
  • R2-D2
  • Jar Jar Binks Squishy
  • Sith Holoprojector
  • Planet Coruscant
  • Yoda’s Jedi Destiny
  • Queen Amidala’s Royal Starship
  • Darth Maul’s Sith Infiltrator
• *”Dodd” is misspelled. Should be spelled “Dod”.

• Cup Toppers
• Cost: $2.99 with purchase of a large soft drink or combo
  • Mace Windu
  • Jar Jar Binks
  • Nute Gunray
  • Yoda

Pizza Hut also had take-out boxes featuring artwork.

Medium size pizza boxes that formed a mural: Queen Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, Jar Jar Binks, C-3PO

Large size pizza boxes that formed a mural: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Maul, Darth Sidious

Large size character boxes: Anakin Skywalker, Jar Jar Binks, Darth Maul, Nute Gunray, Queen Amidala

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D (2012)

Restaurant: McDonalds
Premium: Battling Tops (with lightsaber spinner mechanism)
Toys
Cost: N/A

• Yoda 
• R2-D2 
• Darth Maul
• Anakin Skywalker
• Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Mace Windu
• Qui-Gon Jinn
• Sebulba

Research help from:

• http://www.rebelscum.com/restaurant.asp 
• https://www.youtube.com/user/UKToyCollector1977
• https://mightyjabba.com/2012/02/11/the-phantom-menace-poster-with-jabba-the-hutt-from-taco-bell/

---

We hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane. If we are missing any premiums or want to let us know about international promotions, please let us know at share@skywalkingthroughneverland.com

Special Thanks to Mike Carambat for letting me know about the forgotten Boss Nass Squirter.

To Be Continued with Revenge of the Sith

Previous fast food premiums:

• 1978 Star Wars Fast Food Premiums
• 1980 Empire Strikes Back Fast Food Premiums
• 1983 Return of the Jedi Fast Food Premiums

---

Bibliography

• http://www.rebelscum.com/restaurant.asp
  
•  https://blog.paxholley.net/2011/08/12/a-cavalcade-of-collector-cups/
  
• https://mightyjabba.com/2012/02/11/the-phantom-menace-poster-with
• jabba-the-hutt-from-taco-bell/
  
• http://www.sandcrawler.com/
• Youtube: FastFood Reviews
• Youtube: MGTracey
  
• http://www.sandtroopers.com/julian/burgerking/