KFC Canada hosts ‘Fry Funeral’ to bid farewell to its disgraced french fries
In a satirical new campaign, KFC Canada says goodbye to its bland fries with a funeral procession, in order to usher in their salty successor: $1 seasoned fries.
For years, Canadians have been very vocal about their hatred for KFC’s fries, calling them soggy and bland, among other slights.
KFC Canada says it heard their critiques loud and clear. In response, the fast food chain held a ’Fry Funeral’ for its old fries on the streets of Toronto on Thursday, allowing consumers to pay their ‘fry’-nal respects, as a branded hearse made its way from a KFC location to high-traffic locations like Yonge-Dundas Square and the Budweiser Stage. Inside the hearse was a casket full of french fries.
Taking their place will be KFC’s new seasoned fries, which the brand describes as “crispy and seasoned enough to satisfy our toughest critics,“ and available for a limited time for just $1.
“We knew that Canadians hated our old fries and so we saw this as an opportunity to show our fans we hear them by changing up this menu item and launching it in a fun way.” Said Azim Akhtar, director of marketing at KFC Canada.
At press-time, social videos teasing the funeral have garnered 8m organic views. Following the announcement, fans of the chain have taken to social media to express their relief and gratitude for the menu change:
Facts
— KFC Canada (@kfc_canada) July 24, 2023
For those who could not make the in-person service, KFC Canada says it will hold an online funeral with a eulogy. The old fries will be officially “put to rest“ in a livestreamed funeral on August 1 at 12 p.m. Eastern Time on KFCFryFuneral.com.
“The KFC brand is all about being bold and fun. This satirical campaign allows us to introduce an exciting new product that we’re proud of, while making light of a product that wasn’t as beloved by Canadians” said Akhtar.
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Toronto-based Courage, KFC Canada’s creative agency of record, ideated and developed the campaign.
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“Canadians rated KFC’s old fries as the lowest-rated fry in the nation. Naturally something needed to change,” said Dhaval Bhatt, Courage’s chief creative officer. “When we heard KFC Canada reference the old box as ‘The Fry Coffin,’ we saw an opportunity to really send the not-so-beloved spuds off in a big way. And what’s bigger than a public funeral procession throughout the streets of Toronto?”
Campaign content is running across a variety of channels, including on KFC Canada’s socials, inside KFC Canada restaurants, in the KFC app, on KFC.ca., across out-of-home placements, on TV and online.