Yum Brands CEO thanked Pete Davidson and credited Taco Bell's 45 million Mexican Pizzas as the fast food company crushed earnings estimates

• Sales of Taco Bell's breakfast jumped in the the last three months of 2022 as commercials with the former "Saturday Night Live" star began to air.
• "Taco Bell brought in Pete Davidson to help drive consumer buzz for breakfast," Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs said.

Taco Bell's parent company reported upbeat fourth-quarter earnings, with the Yum Brands chief exec crediting the taco chain's growth in part to advertisements featuring comedian Pete Davidson.

Sales of Taco Bell's breakfast jumped in the the last three months of 2022 as commercials with the former "Saturday Night Live" star began to air.

"Taco Bell brought in Pete Davidson to help drive consumer buzz for breakfast," CEO David Gibbs said in Wednesday's call, crediting other high-profile partnerships with Doja Cat and Davante Adams. "This led to 9% transaction growth [on the breakfast items]."

In fact, 2022 was a "landmark year" for the fast food giant, Gibbs added, noting "encouraging progress" on the Taco Bell breakfast front.

Meanwhile, Taco Bell also sold 45 million Mexican Pizzas in the four months that the item was offered on menus to customers.

As the Taco Bell brand continues to drive growth for Yum, the parent company reported that US sales surged 14%, while international sales grew 23% as well for the quarter.

"We're connecting and we're winning because of value," Gibbs added.

Shares of the company are trading flat at $131 on Thursday.