Taco Bell is Marketing the Hell out of the Doritos Locos Tacos: Have you been sold on it?

Taco Bell, everyone's favorite drive-through to hit after a night of serious drinking, released its  Doritos Locos Tacos nationwide (including throughout South Florida) with a midnight debut last Thursday. A story on forbes.com begs the question of whether the new product -- essentially a taco with a giant Nacho Cheese Dorito as a shell -- can "save Taco Bell." The piece says Yum Brands, who owns the chain, have earmarked as much as $75 million to launch the product between advertising and equipment needed to produce the bright orange shell.  

Developing a strong following is crucial for the success of a pricy

product launch and Taco Bell has been marketing the holy hell out of the

Doritos Locos Tacos in traditional and new media markets, including a special app

and a rather intense social media marketing campaign.

Beginning Monday,

fans of the inventor of "fourth meal" who tweet about the new taco using the hashtag #DoritosLocosTacos have a

chance to see their tweet appear on digital billboards in Times Square

in New York City and Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

The Daily Show last week poked gentle fun at the hysteria. Last Thursday's "Moment of Zen" at the close of the show was a clip taken from The Orange County Register's food blog's coverage of the unveiling. (By the way: Clean Plate Charlie is totally envious of food blogger/fast food maven Nancy Luna for her Daily Show shout-out).

One man summed the product up as, "basically, the biggest Doritos chip ever." Watched the clip below.

The full video, available at the Register's food blog, includes a Taco Bell franchisee revealing that a Cool Ranch Dorito shell should be available before the end of the summer, an addition which seems inevitable.

So, did you try the Doritos Locos Taco this weekend - perhaps after hitting the bar? If so, what did you think of it? Could McDonald's and their McRib have some competition in the fast food "cult of personality" wars? Or did you walk away with orange fingers and little else to show for your efforts?