Taco Bell's chihuahua ads got a lot of attention when they were released, but for several reasons, this ad campaign would do the chain more harm than good.

The talking Chihuahua turned into a national phenomenon in 1998. Taco Bell customers bought 13 million Chihuahua plush toys. The dog and its tag line became fodder for late-night talk show jokes.

Through the summer and fall of 1996, Alfaro began seeding Psycho Chihuahua with his Taco Bell co-workers. He even ran a focus group, testing several would-be mascots on the masses.

But more than 10 years after her face first graced a "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" ad, marketing's top chihuahua has died at 15 from a stroke. "It was very hard to lose her," owner Karin McElhatton told ...

AP PhotoGidget, the Chihuahua known for her Taco Bell commercials in the 1990s, died on Tuesday. LOS ANGELES -- Quite possibly the most famous Chihuahua in history, Gidget, the bug-eyed, big-eared ...

1990s: Beef Gordita Supreme ($2.99) We’re pretty sure that Taco Bell Chihuahua originally encouraged us to order a Beef Gordita Supreme back in the 1990s. (And if that makes zero sense to you ...