Hey KFC, the idiots called. They want you to market their fast food for them
So I know this KFC ad probably doesn’t break the advertising code of conduct, but attacking someone making a healthy eating choice – really?
(Ad courtesy of Ebiquity)
If I were a marketer, I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable poking fun at somebody attempting to make a healthy eating choice.
As far as I can tell, a standard popcorn chicken and gravy amounts to 343 calories and about 19g of fat. Which is probably more than the “pigeon food” the woman – dressed in a drab grey cardigan, I note – in the ad is eating.
But more foolish is that this is the type of ad that makes the fast food industry so easy to attack. At a time when critics look for opportunities to regulate, being seen to be marketing responsibly is just as important as acting within the rules.
KFC is clearly putting a big media spend behind the strategy though – based on Ebiquity’s numbers, it was the fifth most played primetime ad of last week.
Tim Burrowes
Linkedin
I think its irresponsible to market a product with 343 calories as a snack in the first place. Any nutritionist will tell you 100-150 calories is the appropriate amount for a snack. I hope KFC cops a beating for this ad.
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I don’t see this as making fun of someone making a healthy eating choice. But against boring bland food. I actually hate KFC food.
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I think KFC’s had an easy run compared to, say, McDonalds. Maccas has been the target of documentaries and the suffix “Mc-” applying to anything unhealthy, cheap or mass produced, even while improving its range of healthier options. KFC, meanwhile, doesn’t even serve salads as far as I’m aware. Its least fatty, least sugared product is gravy.
Perhaps the dearth of criticism has given KFC bigger balls than is wise.
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I have to admit when I saw the commersial last night i thought ‘ Can KFC get away with this?’. I agree with Bree that KFC deserves a harsh beating for this!!!!
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Perhaps not a direct equivalent, but the big alcohol companies, and the alcohol industry, have had provisions in their self-regulatory codes prohibiting making fun of anyone choosing not to drink in their marketing for a decade or more (along with clauses prohibiting the portrayal or encouragement of excessive consumption etc.). May be some valuable lessons to be learnt for the fast food industry to avoid such own goals.
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Obviously not the best ad, but I just like that KFC is unapologetic about it – they don’t try and be healthy. They never claim to be healthy like other fast food joints and therefore don’t invite people to challenge. For me it keeps KFC in ‘guilty pleasure’ territory, which isn’t necessarily a bad place to be.
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For all we know…the chick on the swing could be eating a lard sandwich? Then the ad makes sense.
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The chick on the left is waaaay too skinny. Her friend is doing her a favour by pimping fried snacks. Put some junk in that trunk girl!
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More shithouse advertising for shithouse food.
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I raised this issue the other day. Yes, I agree it’s disgusting that a fast food company should be overtly encouraging people to choose their unhealthy crap over the home-cooked alternative.
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Hear, hear.
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This is a natural progression for Australia.
As a pom watching another Ashes victory I was excited to see the Aussies cricket hero Shane Warne advertising McDonalds on an ‘ironic’ screen at each end of the pitch thereby ensuring that future generations of Australians would be too fat to bowl, field or bat!
The irony was nearly as good as the cricket.
What we really need is some swimmers advertising KFC in time to screw Aus’s chances in 2012.
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I wonder if KFC will be helping to fund the future health costs of our obese, cholesterol ridden population?
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Of course all models and actresses (and healthy, attractive people in general) are always eating at KFC. Not even fatties are delusional that only other fatties and people under 25 (or drunk people) even eat this vile muck.
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The whole stategy of the Ad has been lost, its actually the same girl talking to herself similar to the other 2 Ads KFC have aired all three have a better groomed version of themselves convincing them that KFC is better than what they are considering eating, wheather it be a cracker or left overs. Just plain bad Ads if you ask me, the first thing you think is KFC is so unhealthy compared to the other option.
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Has anyone else noticed how similar ‘street wise’ and ‘treat wise’ sound?
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@Tom – you do realise it’s the same chick on the left as it is on the right?!
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An aloverall poor ad. How unlike KFC.
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I can’t actually believe they are advertising POP CORN CHICKEN – what is that?! Ben Elton should have done a skit about the cool kids in the KFC Street-Wise team, I think I hate them more than the banks. Does this stuff actually work – when the KFC Oz team roll up to their international conferences is everyone high-fiving them for such brilliant campaigns that produce such brilliant results? Do they actually celebrate when Aussies are declared the most obese nation on the planet? I reckon they should have to use actors that really eat the stuff in their ads as well…
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KFC have been doing these forced situational ads for years, and yet regularly winning advertising effeciveness awards. This is easily one of the worst though…what were they thinking?
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@17: Completely missed it.
Ad assumes an ‘engaged audience’ I guess – big mistake!
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Deep-fried Chicken with Gravy?
How the hell can that be a sensible alternative to a healthy snack? Where’s the greens?
Shame on you KFC!
Let’s kick the cr*p out of the Colonel
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Does anyone else think there is an uncomfortable connection between pigeons and the fact the ad is for fried chicken?
You might argue that, as I am an advertising GURU, my mind is always on the strategic cutting edge and as a result I may not think like our consumers. But my thoughts went straight to the fact they are cooking the ultimate dirty bird….previously mentioned in the spot.
God I love ads!!
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Look,
the worse KFC’s ads get, the more effective they are.
Walk past a KFC any time of the day or night and have a quick look at their customers.
We’re talking about the bottom 15% of society here. Intelligent advertising would be completely lost on the morons.
What they’re doing with their advertising is perfect for the brand. Just pray you never have to work on it.
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I actually was given a KFC brief for one of my assignments at uni, it was really difficult to come up with an idea that was different to McDonalds and Subways attempts to be healthy… I admire that they aren’t doing the “healthy” thing, but they should be focusing on making their own products look better by looking at benefits [no health benefits of course] and not by mocking healthy choices.
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Popcorn chicken v A carrot… Or an apple… Or a banana… The government should step up here.
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The nose-turning at this spot exemplifies exactly why our industry is so self-absorbed. KFC are on a winner. They are on air 52 weeks a year. They have an amazing rolling NPD/comm’s formula that delivers results month on month, year on year. That’s why the ads you see today could have run 5 years ago. They work.
KFC advertise to sell, not to win creative awards. They make sound commercial decisions and are unapologetic about what they sell.
Ps. Who else is sick of the media making excuses for fat, lazy people who shovel too much food down their gullet?
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Natural selection.
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@Julian Time Out – Ummm, KFC are already there mate. Libby Trickett was the face of their Cajun crap last year…
The marketing of fast food chains promoting sporting events/stars etc, is getting way out of hand. With our nation getting fatter and fatter, younger and younger, it’s a concern.
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Tim,
I love how you are just so positive about our industry and make such constructive criticism (no praise), that headline is one of your best yet, wouldn’t you agree?
No wonder our industry is the way it is with this sort of commentary……..
*YAWN*
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i suspect in 20 years we will view these ads the same way we view cigarette ads from the 50s
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I don’t see anyone up in arms about the body image issues of the girl who is intimidated out of eating a chocolate biscuit and thinks a diet yoghurt is a good substitute for lunch (even if everyone else is eating a single lettuce leaf).
Lighten up. No one thinks KFC ads are meant to give balanced nutritional advice.
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Good advertising strategy id say!! this is the reaction they want from us! You have to remember that during the process of briefing and campaigning, the advertising agency would consider these controversial actions in order to get an up brawl reaction from the viewers. On the other hand, I’m more concerned that MacDonald’s is allowing Shane Warne to be one of their ambassador’s (for a limited time only of course). “Sh sh sh sh shane”…. I mean common, what the hell is with that. Cringe worthy id say!
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“As for the critics tell me I don’t get it, everybody can tell you how to do it but they never did it…they want me to fall from the tops, they want me to drop they want me to stop, they want me to go”……
A one Jay-Z responding to his critics in a track titled “Already Home”.
Same applies to this negativity.
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Terrible ad directing people to make poor food choices. Have we forgotten that KFC stands for “Kentucky Fried Chicken”? Who says they’re being overt about bad food choices?!!
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And the pay off line is “so good”? KFC is SOOOOO BAD, and this ad is crook in every way. No wonder the pressure’s on to curb the take-away food industry.
This is crass KFC thumbing its nose at the obesity epidemic and the studies that show kids are eating crap, and that the notion of taste (ie, actually using your mouth and taste buds to enjoy the subtle differences in foods) has been washed away by gallons of iced coke and crappy “spices” (mostly SALT) that destroy enjoyment of eating.
REGULATE THE ADOLESCENT BASTARDS : It’s obvious they’ll never behave themselves.
BTW: NANDOS IS ANOTHER DELINQUENT FAST-FOOD OPERATOR
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This ad fails for me because it is based on the premise that pigeon’s are discerning when it comes to their diet AND that they make their own sandwiches.
What do they take us for?
I hate KFC now, and their ilk.
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I think in many ways this ad is going to have good cut-thru.
It does address the issue of ‘treating ourselves’ and also the issue of cost-effectiveness – with the price clearly shown at the end.
In these times when many people are being squeezed by energy costs, mortgages etc this ad would be appealing.
The focus groups have spoken.
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Kyle Sandilands adores this ad.
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Lets be realistic here, what would you rather eat? KFC or something bland and healthy- Id go the KFC myself, so I think its a great TVC. Matter fact I feel like some KFC right now…seeya
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@ Tim Bennet – they think the sugary sweet coleslaw passes as salad there.
I love how the KFC marketers work – 90% of the people who eat KFC would think this wayy to small for a snack (come on it just wouldnt fill them up) so they will spend more than the deceptively cheap $1.95…
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I am more concerned about the ‘street-wise’ crack addict pushing KFC onto an innocent girl eating her lunch on a swing.
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When ever I see pigeons in the CBD having a nosh it tends to be KFC, Pigeon food? That’s KFC!
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KFC you are so out of touch on so many levels as are your agency partners obviously…
How embaressing that a marketing team and agency could even produce such utter crap.
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If KFC were really talking about comparing their food to a healthy eating choice I think a lot of the people in this blog would have a point. Salada(?) biscuits are far from a healthy eating option all the same – they’re processed to the max and fast burning carbs – pointless eating. The only healthy part about it is the amount of calories in them compared to KFC.
KFC is the last place I would eat for a fast meal however the point of the ad is about something more exciting than a Salada(?) in my view.
Like anything we all have to make our own decisions about what we eat. Getting on a high horse about having the Government impose further rules seems so bureaucratic and self righteous. I really crave a new ipad right now but it doesn’t really work for me on many levels – so should the Government come in and impose rules about advertising ipads just in case I can’t control myself?
When does taking responsibility for ourselves become the real issue for education?
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If you are going to eat chicken – then try home made free range adult chicken with no hormones that you can buy from your local freerange chicken shop. Then cook it yourself in the oven (after removing the fat). Add fresh herbs and spices from your garden, with fresh vegetables from the market and from your garden…now that is a delicious meal.
Why on earth do people eat take away food anyway, especially KFC.
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I don’t eat meat but I always notice these ads. KFC is trying to sell their food to people who buy their kind of food. It’s pretty simple… I’m sure it works for KFC as the ads are hard to miss as they go against the overly PC grain that is invading all forms of society these days – (including the mUmbrella comments forum if loads of the opinions above are any indication).. You people should work in academia not the media..!. Except Ivan – I’m with you bro, pigeon = dirty bird.
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Sadly I don’t think advertising is that cutting edge and I believe it is a reflection of society and not creating it. I really don’t think it is appropriate for us to censor if fast food can be advertised, even if the advertising isn’t to our taste, nor if the food is to our taste.
It works for KFC and it wouldn’t sell if there wasn’t a need/want for it = a market for it.
I suspect that strategy, execution and the food is spot on for the target market.
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I may disagree with what you have to eat, but I shall defend to the death your right to advertise it.
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It’s “inappropriate” , “who’ll pay these KFC-eating bogans’ medical costs”, “how dare they”.
What a bunch of effin’ wowsers you lot are!
May you and your healthy, wholegrain, sprout-riddled lunchboxes all drown in melted lard, you snivellin’ pack of secular psalm singers.
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The strategy seems interestingly behind (even at odds with) KFC’s new ‘healthier’ strategy launched in the UK.
BrandRepublic reports:
“Kentucky Fried Chicken is to replace its 50-year-old ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ slogan with ‘So Good’, as it introduces a healthier focus, including displaying calories alongside prices on its menu boards.
There will be new menu offerings, including the full rollout of its first griddled chicken product, called the Brazer, which will feature a burger, a tortilla-style wrap and a salad containing fewer calories, salt and fat than KFC’s standard offerings.
The chain’s 800 stores will also switch the oil they use from rapeseed, sunflower and palm oil, to only rapeseed, reducing saturated fats across the KFC range by 25%.”
http://www.brandrepublic.com/n.....ed-revamp/
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I think this one is better then the other one they have airing at the same time. The one where the husbands are in the pool? I can’t remember the gist but it was about no need to ‘ride that’ again or something like that? shocking!
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@David – you mean “here here!” ……can you ‘hear’ me… !! Too much fast food affects the spelling cells!
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Thanks @P6, but my spelling’s fine.
And the saying “hear hear” is an expression of agreement (repeated, short form of “hear him, hear him”)
“Here, here” might be what you yell in demand at the kid serving you across the KFC counter as you excitedly respond to the ad.
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Um, P6, “Hear! Hear!” is the correct spelling. It’s short for “Hear him! Hear him!”. If you want to be pedantic, you also need to be accurate.
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@Carole Anne Goldsmith, you are kidding yourself??
I don’t have a garden to grow my own hippie vegies, I don’t have an oven to cook the free range chicken that i can’t afford and i certainly don’t have time to do it all. And if I did…I wouldn’t.
Here’s a surprise for all of you – i friggen love fat and oil! Specifically KFC’s, and their salt too actually – it’s the best!
Does that mean I’m stupid and fat?? No – I am able to make my own decisions like exercise if I’m feeling unhealthy, enjoy the foods you like but in moderation…people need to stop blaming big bad corporations and start blaming idiotic individuals who can’t make logical decisions for themselves.
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When did mumbrella become a recipe blog?
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Isn’t this pretty much the same concept as that “Wodya you got?” “Rabbit food” “Me too” TVC for Four ‘n’ Twenty Pies that’s been running for years? Why the outrage over this now? Is it because the two workmen would be expected to work the calories off hauling bricks, whereas the girl is supposed to eat like a bird and stay unsweaty? I detect a skerrick of sexism in all of this.
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Oh grow up – clearly many commenters here are oh so aware of what is the ‘correct’ food to eat, so if KFC is ‘incorrect’ according to your socially-engineered politically correct mindsets then simply don’t eat it.
At some point people need to take responsibility for their own actions rather than blaming everything else. If you eat non-stop KFC and get fat, who’s fault is it?
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maybe they need to show more ads like this! skinny girls eat crap too you know!
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The Colonel is leading with his chin on this one. This deserves to be slammed.
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I think this ad fits into the category of ‘Things Real Girls Don’t Say To each Other’.
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F__K KFC.
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Oh KFC. What are you thinking? You look like try hards but you don’t need to – you have a product which tastes great – be unashamed about the fantastic KFC flavour. People who choose KFC are not looking for health, just go hard on aroma & taste. Be the chicken kings!
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