KFC Canada’s Fry Funeral: A Bold Goodbye to Old Fries

KFC Canada has launched a bold and humorous campaign to announce the end of its “Soggy Fry Era” and the introduction of its new, boldly seasoned fries. The campaign, created in partnership with creative AOR Courage, is a satirical take on a funeral procession, complete with a hearse and a live-streamed eulogy, to bid farewell to the old fries.

The campaign was inspired by the tweets and comments from Canadians who were not fans of KFC’s old fries. KFC Canada took this feedback to heart and decided to make a change. The new seasoned fries are crispy and flavorful, designed to win back the love of KFC’s most passionate fans. For a limited time, Canadians can try these new seasoned fries for only $1 at KFC restaurants, on KFC.ca, and on the KFC App.

The funeral procession for the old fries occurred in Toronto, starting at a KFC and hitting high-traffic locations like Yonge-Dundas Square and Budweiser stage. Those who couldn’t attend in person could tune into a live-streamed funeral on August 1, 2023, at KFCFryFuneral.com.

The campaign includes a 30-second cinema ad that will be shown in theaters across the US. The ad will air in over 1,600 locations across over 2,000 screens starting July 21 and run for the next three weeks.

The campaign is a testament to KFC’s commitment to listening to its customers and making changes based on their feedback. It’s a bold and fun way to introduce a new product and make light of a product that Canadians didn’t like. The campaign will run across various channels, including KFC Canada’s Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube channels, in-store at restaurants across Canada, through the KFC App, and on KFC.ca.

The new fries are a significant improvement over the old ones, and this campaign is a clever way to acknowledge past criticisms while promoting the new product. It’s a fun and engaging way to get customers excited about trying the fresh fries.

Pros:

• Bold and Innovative: KFC’s approach to addressing criticism of their old fries is both bold and innovative. They’ve turned a negative into a positive, using real customer feedback to fuel their campaign.
• Engaging and Interactive: The campaign is highly engaging, with a funeral procession for the old fries and a live-streamed funeral. This interactive approach is likely to draw attention and create buzz.

Cons:

• Risk of Backlash: While the campaign is bold, there’s a risk of backlash. Some customers might find the funeral procession and live-streamed funerals in poor taste.
• High Expectations: With such a dramatic campaign, expectations for the new fries are high. It could lead to further criticism if they don’t live up to the hype.
• Limited Time Offer: The $1 offer is only for a limited time. Once the promotion ends, some customers might be reluctant to pay full price for the new fries.