KFC Fired Up About Local Branding Initiatives

Recently brandchannel reported that, due to a lack of ad dollars, 2010 would be a year of experimentation for brands seeking new channels to promote their products. One of the first examples of this trend? Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Two cities in Indiana will allow KFC to paint the brand's white-haired icon, Colonel Sanders, on local fire hydrants and fire extinguishers as part of an advertising campaign to promote the company's new "fiery" chicken wings. Total cost of the campaign? Less than $20,000. Exposure? Priceless, particularly considering the campaign doubles as a community goodwill effort.

KFC has agreed to pay for upgrades and repairs on the fire hydrants, something the city lacked the resources to do itself. KFC's strategy circumvents traditional and costly advertising channels while also positioning its brand in a positive light. The clever campaign comes after an earlier one implemented by KFC that fixed more than a thousand potholes in exchange for branding the repairs "Re-Freshed by KFC."

Is this the beginning of the end for conventional advertising? No. But if this level of creativity is brought to more branding strategies, 2010 is going to be a fun and inspiring year for our industry.