• Associated Press, Thursday, May 4, 2006 2 PM

Everyone has heard of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut because all are well marketed, famous American brands. But the parent company that owns all three is practically invisible. All that is about to change however, as the company, Yum Brands, is set to embark on its first-ever corporate branding effort. It kicks off Saturday with a series of television commercials airing during the Kentucky Derby telecast. The campaign, for now limited to Derby Day, is aimed at attracting more investors to a fast-food giant with worldwide sales of nearly $30 billion last year from more than 34,000 restaurants in 102 countries. Louisville-based Yum Brands was spun off from PepsiCo in 1997 and was initially called Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. before changing it's name to Yum in 2002. It acknowledges that its identify is largely a mystery. "People obviously understand Taco Bell, but they don't know that it's part of Yum Brands," said Yum Chairman and Chief Executive David Novak. Yum gets top billing in the Derby ads. The 30-second spots showcase the company's worldwide presence --touting the popularity of Kentucky Fried Chicken in China, favorite Pizza Hut pie toppings in such places as India and Australia and Taco Bell's popularity in the United States. Each commercial lists Yum's Website and its ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange.

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