• MSNBC, Tuesday, May 18, 2010 10:51 AM

Speaking of whimsical, Bill Briggs offers a rundown of 12 flashy fast-food menu offerings concocted with the intention of building buzz. Called "stunt foods" and usually bearing a "cutesy" moniker and a big ad budget, they also carry some marketing risk. This season's offerings include KFC's Double Down and IHOP's Cheesecake Pancakes.

The leading bomb on Briggs' list is Taco Bell's Border Lights, which were introduced in 1995 with a $75 million marketing campaign. The menu items were said to carry one-fifth fewer calories and less than half the fat of other Taco Bell meals. It earns an F. Hot on its ne'er-do-well heels is KFC's The Colonel's Rotisserie Gold, a 1993 cholesterol-cutting entrée that had a 100 million budget. It earns a D-.

The big winner, with an A+, is McDonald's Egg McMuffin, which made its debut at 55 cents in 1973 and costs $1.80 today. But even Mickey D doesn't always have the golden touch. Its 1988 experiment with McPizza was born crusty and garners a D.

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