KFC launches attack ad on McDonald’s chicken
Burger chain KFC has launched an attack ad on McDonald’s, claiming that the chain reconstitutes its chicken.
The ad – created by Ogilvy with Mediacom handling the media strategy – attacks McDonald’s chicken patties. It uses Lego-style blocks to show a chicken being reconstituted and frozen, and contrasts it with the KFC Zinger burger.
Although the ad does not refer directly to McDonald’s, it refers to “some McRestaurants”.
The campaign, which launched today, will run across TV, radio, digital and print.
Nikki Lawson, chief marketing officer of KFC, said: “There are currently a lot of chicken claims out there. This advertising campaign clears the air and demonstrates how KFC prides itself on delivering 100% whole, chicken breast fillets cooked in store by our dedicated cooks.”
The company is also launching a promotion with customers who come into the store on Thursday being offered free chips and a drink.
A spokesman for McDonald’s told Mumbrella: “This doesn’t change anything for us. Australians are loving our chicken range and it’s the most successful it’s ever been. Our customers are voting with their feet and the Chicken Scorcher Burger is flying out of the door.
“Our Scorcher patty is made from real marinated Aussie chicken breast meat. We source our chicken from the same trusted brands – Ingham and Steggles – that are available in your local supermarket.”
The ad is the second in recent days to take an indirect tilt at McDonald’s. A campaign for Hungry Jack’s pokes fun at the style of the McDonald’s “a little bit fancy” ads.
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So, unlike McDonald’s, KFC prides itself on serving quality foods to its customers – Like free chips and a (sugary) drink?
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My favourite shot was the flour/ breadcrumbs in the kitchen. KFC’s commercial kitchen looks so homely!
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Yeah because I’m sure KFC’s chicken patties are cooked by real “cooks” as they say, yeah right. They are 15 year old kids, who really have no idea. I don’t think so. No matter how you market KFC/McDonalds, everyone knows they are junk food places.
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petty..and dangerous
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Poke a bear with the stick for long enough….
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Two obese guys wrestling in a pit of lard.
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Pot/kettle /black/crap
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It began with brilliant creative around the lego chicken, but lost me when it showed the slow-mo of a gourmet kitchen environment – complete with cheesy piano music – that is unlike anything I’d expect to find at KFC.
Sorry guys, you started off well but over-reached there.
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In the interests of consumer research I have gone out and tasted both and can conclude that KFC does taste better… (but I do love McDonald’s)
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We recently compared their advertising to reality in an infographic – not sure either of them come off terribly well?
http://www.eventarc.com/posts/.....fast-food/
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bunch of arse
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I’m pretty sure it’s still made from a chicken that has been cruelly mistreated for its short life. No matter which way you slice it, they’re serving tortured animals that have lived in confined spaces and been pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. Not only will you ingest these chemicals if you eat the burger, but you’ll be taking in a load of stress hormones from an animal that has lived its life in fear and misery.
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When you cant think of anything truely imaginative or creative, slam the competition and charge your client a fortune. Do they really think “discerning” McDonalds customers care how their chicken is made? With 1 in 6 Australian adults now classified as obese, should this advertising be allowed anyway?
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The current advertising agency for Hungry Jacks has clearly lost interest, in their adverts for the client they firstly just make an advert telling how they make adverts.
The other advert suggests they cant even be bothered making up a good name for the wonderful product and therefore just list the ingredients.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
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As an ex-KFC “15-year-old” “cook”, I can confidently say what a load of rubbish. Yes, KFC chicken is fresh off an Ingham’s truck – but really – cooks? I was an underpaid teenager who tossed the chicken by the literal bucket load into a vat of flour and herbs, I shook it a little, snapped the legs, tossed and threw them on a rack for deep frying.
I’m flattered, but lol.
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Bullshit. Like the pimply 13 year old in KFC is going to dust my pattie in flour and breadcrumb it himself?
When you serve food like KFC (or Maccas, or any other fast food chain), you simply can’t make claims like this and expect people to believe them. People are too cynical. Just acknowledge that it’s shit for you but tastes freaking awesome when you’re drunk.
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It’s a nice idea, just as long as no KFC products are made from re-constituted chicken. And I can’t imagine for a second that’s the case. In which case, they’re just hypocrites.
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quality of the ad you’d expect it to be a maccas ad. the whole “man with deep voice” voice over just makes me think maccas. same with HJs – i always think its a little bit fancy when their ads come on.
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Loved the leggo blocks opening. Great original visual for a fast food ad. So why follow it with unrealistic, stereotypical slow mo kitchen shots? Could have been so great…
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Advertising 101 … If you are doing comparrison ‘mine vs yours’ than your creative team are not doing their job!
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the hungry jacks spot is WAY better than this KFC one. The HJ’s one is harmless fun, poking fun at the creative, which is less of an attack and more of an observational joke. I’ll be honest, I have eaten my fair share of both, and I am less concerned about the chicken than I am about the amount of skin that surrounds it. McDonald’s is definitely doing a better job in that respect. Also KFC made a burger that used more chicken instead of bread. It’s not healthy if there is 14 pounds of it, you morons.
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Australia – rich land of wealth, ignorant malevolent media and dieases of affluence. LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT! Victorious in most obese per capita – HA! Suckit septics!
Phwoar – I love eating pink bits. My son & I fight over who eats the burnt cloaca at the dinner table!
..cause we got the boogie..
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That ‘kitchen’ is mere puffery. No consumer in their right mind would be fooled by that ad. Lucky consumers aren’t that gullible or KFC might actually sell more chicken
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Agree with OtherAndrew. But please forgive them the ending. Having spent a year wrestling with KFC I can tell you this little ad is a giant leap for the brand. Someone at SOM has finally got through to KFC that there’s more to tv ads than corny, mates scenarios (some of which I was responsible for). It reminds me of the Leo Burnetts’ McDonald’s ad of a few years back using the kids learning cards. And the ‘child inside’ stuff.There was a brief moment there when Maccas realised that being tonally consistent doesn’t mean you can’t have a bit of stretch in the brand. Obsession with the brand tonality is the biggest black hole for ideas in our industry. Brand personality is no different than a real personality. Some days your mate is serious and thoughtful other days he’s crazy and funny. But he’s still the same person and you allow for it. Keep going KFC and don’t lose your nerve like Maccas now have.
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Doesn’t matter how it compares to other burgers or how many adjectives they use in their media release, it’s still Dirty Bird and it still tastes like crap
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I agree with OtherAndrew but I think this is pretty effective in some ways. Now I will always think of the McChicken as being reconstituted. It’s not going to make me buy KFC but I don’t think I’ll be having McDonalds anytime soon. The McChicken was the only thing I could eat there that didn’t make me feel ill.
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I don’t rate the KFC one at all, but i like the HJs one, it’s kinda funny and so true!
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I don’t think ANY fast-food chain wins when one chain accuses the other of producing fake, nasty food.
I think the consumer is well aware that if Macca’s is doing something a bit NQR, then KFC is probably using some tricks of their own.
Just makes me want to avoid all of them really.
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Yes, false advertising on the kitchen scene, do a snap visit across Australia and its an open and shut case..
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Damn, that burger looks good..
Now if only KFC has as many stores as Maccas, I would eat there more often
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FREE WIFI in KFC NOW!
^^^ Who is this Sam Neil character? GET OFF
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Chicken fight!
My money is on the Frankenstein.
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Clever ad and well constructed although ingredient-wise I’m sure they’re all jsut as bad.
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I think KFC needs to fire it’s agencies and themselves! Bad creative work, Bad marketing team for accepting that crap!
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Envy is strong emotion to use in advertising.
But clumsily exposing the marketing team’s own envy at a brand level is a weak position to take.
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It’s funny, I saw this last night and actually thought it was pretty good. As a vegetarian, KFC, HJ and Maccas are not part of my world so therefore I am hardly the target audience but I thought the lego angle was an interesting take on showing a real point of difference between the brands. Happy eating, guys! mmmmmmm…….
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Fast food outlets, whether you like the stuff or not, are the largest provider of teenage employment in this country.Shut down fast food and you shut down jobs. I am not sure what some people think a 15 year old should be entitled to at that age with no qualifications and no experience. These jobs should be viewed as something transient that lasts the few years while the teen wants pocket money and can transition into a better paying job or further study. There are also countless stories of teenager who have gone further and today hold well paying leadership jobs in these companies or own a franchise.
In terms of fast food being bad for you, no one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to eat it. It appears the critics out there will not be satisfied until every person on this planet has been reduced to eating cellery sticks and sipping tap water.
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Straight outta the industry play book there Mike. Almost word for word. Well done.
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