Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) + sports have a long history together. It's a partnership that makes sense. Watching sports and eating go hand in hand. It's a ritual.Earlier this week, KFC announced their new Boneless Filet Box. As described by KFC, it's "a whole new way to eat chicken." They're continuing to challenge consumers to unthink outside-the-bucket. I've always thought they were biting Taco Bells, "think outside the bun" campaign, but I digress. So, the boneless filet comes in a fries like container which is supposed to allow customers to "Get a Grip" as they eat.
This leads me to their second announcement. They've teamed up with Eagle's wide receiver Jason Avant, pro golfer J.B. Holmes and tennis star Devin Britton to help sell their "Get a Grip" concept. The connection between the athletes and chicken is that in order to be a successful athlete, they have to "Get a Grip" to catch the ball and swing a golf club and tennis racket. So, since the chicken is boneless, it's meatier and more cumbersome to hold and requires you to have a "good grip" in order to enjoy it. Two syllables for you...REACH+ING! Seriously, KFC? Are you really trying to get people to eat a chicken breast from a french fry container with their hands? No thank you.
I recognize that sports is the universal language of our society, and an effective form of communication, but KFC is relying on these athletes to do a lot of the heavy lifting (pun kinda intended). I mean, I don't eat chicken (don't judge), but if I did, I know I would not embrace the idea of eating a chicken breast out of a french fry box. A chicken sandwich, chicken tenders, chicken fingers...all acceptable to eat with your hands. A chicken breast sans bread? Not so much. I'll have a plate, knife, and fork for $200, Alex.
KFC's media promoting the new Boneless Filet Box has already hit market. I'm interested in seeing how they're going to integrate the athletes in their promotion, especially considering that the chosen athletes aren't generating tons of buzz because they're a) not household names and b) not currently in season.
This is a sports + QSR partnership that I'm not a fan of, but I am interested to see how long the Boneless Filet Box gets love. My guess is that KFC will "Get a Grip" and recognize that nobody's checking for this. Or, are you?
didn't Burger King already do the whole Chicken in a fry box thing with their gross Chicken Fries? I agree, chicken should look like chicken and should be between two pieces of bread or on a plate. What are we, cavemen?
ReplyDelete