- KFC’s Colonel Sanders is back on the forefront of the brand’s marketing and has taken on a serious demeanor as a part of a multi-phased campaign that goals to return the Yum Brands chain to growth, in line with a press release.
- A new spot, “Obsession,” recounts the meticulous process that led the Colonel to provide you with KFC’s signature 11 herbs and spices recipe and chicken-frying technique. The ad co-stars Matty Matheson, a celeb chef and actor on “The Bear,” which the campaign appears stylistically inspired by.
- In addition, KFC has revamped its logo on billboards, signage and social channels. The Colonel now bears a scowl as an alternative of his usual grin to display his displeasure at KFC’s poor performance and affirm the corporate is committed to winning back customers.
KFC has contended with a period of U.S. sales declines whilst offerings that land in its wheelhouse, reminiscent of fried chicken sandwiches, remain highly in demand amongst fast-food diners. The brand’s founder-turned-mascot isn’t comfortable about the lack of market share and is again within the highlight as KFC tries to usher in what it is billing as a “comeback era.”
The latest marketing from the chain takes a daring approach to transparency, committing to righting the ship by flipping Colonel Sanders’ normally cheery disposition right into a stern one, including on store signage and out-of-home ads. Sanders has played a less outstanding role in KFC’s consumer-facing strategy in recent times but prior iterations of the character, often portrayed by a rotating forged of celebrities, have been well-received.
The “Obsession” spot at the identical time brings the brand back to more narrative-driven promoting by repositioning Sanders as a “chefpreneur” who toils away to perfect his recipe, with some initially disastrous results, including exploding fryers and courtroom brawls with copycats. The gritty creative, developed with agency Highdive, captures the identical high-stakes vibe as “The Bear,” which is similarly set within the culinary world and stars Matheson, himself a widely known chef.
“Obsession” premieres in movie theaters Monday, right because the summer box office heats up, while cutdowns will run on streaming platforms and through MLB broadcasts on Fox. On July 17, KFC is also launching a longer-form version of the spot on YouTube that features a treasure hunt component inspired by its 11 herbs and spices mix. Eleven challenges, with difficulties starting from Wordle-tough to “borderline quantum physics,” might be hidden in video elements reminiscent of Matheson’s tattoo. Those who crack the code will win 11 months of free KFC.
The larger campaign, which is titled “The Colonel Lived So We Could Chicken” and carries a big media investment, was inspired by QSR research that showed consumers view Sanders as a cultural icon and resonate with a founder story they see as “inherently American.” Despite perceiving KFC as outdated and carrying bland food, 90% of non-customer respondents stated that they had positive feelings toward the brand.
“We’re well aware of the newest fried chicken rankings and I’m fired as much as launch a daring Kentucky Fried Comeback and remind America exactly who we’re. If people may give their ex one million second probabilities, I hope our fans may give us one,” said Catherine Tan-Gillespie, president of KFC U.S., in a press release.
To entice diners to offer it one other probability, KFC is running a Free Bucket On Us digital promotion through its app and website that provides a free chicken bucket with any order of $15 and more and encourages consumers to offer their feedback to help with the comeback plan. Fried pickles, currently trendy with cohorts like Gen Z, are also coming to the KFC menu.
KFC has undergone other changes to its marketing of late. Tan-Gillespie joined the corporate’s U.S. division from Canada in August as chief marketing and development officer before being promoted to president this spring. KFC last yr dropped MullenLowe as its lead creative agency in favor of a roster approach, Ad Age reported, noting on the time that Highdive had been appointed to steer a brand reset initiative that is now coming to fruition. It has not announced a CMO successor.
Some of KFC’s experiments have seen success, reminiscent of a Saucy store concept oriented around tenders, chicken sandwiches and sauces. But for the flagship brand, pressure from a competitive set that features Raising Cane’s, Wingstop, Chick-fil-A and Popeyes has been intense. All of those rivals notched consumer spending increases in 2024, per Circana data, while KFC’s U.S. arm was down 4% to $4.34 billion for the yr.
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