This is one of the most ingenious Rebranding efforts I’ve yet seen. Kentucky Fried Chicken recently unveiled their new logo, which puts an emphasis on Colonel Sanders, who is wearing a red apron, to emphasize that he was a person and the chef behind the chicken. As part of their Rebranding efforts, they’ve incorporated PR News releases and also new logos for the restaurants — basic and standard stuff.
But, they’ve done something extraordinary also:
They are catering to the Social Media hype with an amazing campaign — their “Face from Space” Campaign. KFC has created a 65,000 one-foot by one-foot image of the new Logo in the middle of the Nevada desert, close to the infamous hanger 51 (which ads mystery to the event). This is ingenious and they’ve also released a corresponding PR News Wire commemorating the event — the Press Release is also funny; it has a Ben & Jerry’s sort-of light-heartedness about it; it’s very cool and entertaining. This move by KFC’s parent company is absolutely smart because it’s different, it’s viral — this is all over the web now, and it’s memorable and unexpected.
Specifically,
- Create something or produce an event that bloggers can blog about
- Create a YouTube or Google Video commemorating the event
- Items (1) and (2) will allow for embedabble videos in blogs.
- Items (1), (2), and (3) will make more probable the viral nature of the event
- Couple (1), (2), and (3) with other basic media buying — online and offline print, tv spots, and mainstream media
This event and Rebrand makes me proud to admit that I was an Assistant Manager at the Kentucky Fried Chicken in Walnut Creek, California during my Sophomore and Junior Years of High School. During that time, I was pretty much supporting myself and was fortunate enough to have a job that allowed me to financially support myself and learn some skills and business ethics along the way, all the while having a full schedule at school where I did well enough to earn a full-tuition scholarship to college when I graduated from high school. This is a weakness on my character, I think, but I do look down on those who depend so much on their families for financial help. It’s not that I’m better than they are or that they’re less of a man — oh, wait, because I did things on my own, maybe I am better than they are. Hmmm . . .
Moving on . . .
Here is the “Face-from-Space”:
Here is the image from the ground:
Here is the official, rebranded logo:
Here is the official Press Release:
November 14, 2006
KFC CREATES WORLD’S FIRST BRAND VISIBLE FROM SPACE AS COLONEL SANDERS TAKES ONE SMALL STEP FOR HUMANKIND BUT ONE GIANT LEAP FOR FRIED CHICKEN
*** KFC BOLDLY GOES WHERE NO BRAND HAS GONE BEFORE BY UNVEILING ASTRONOMICAL, 87,500 SQUARE-FOOT, CONTEMPORIZED COLONEL SANDERS LOGO IN AREA 51 DESERT TO LAUNCH “KFC OF THE FUTURE”
*** Global Re-Image Campaign Contemporizes Entire Look of KFC – From Logo to Restaurant Design, Advertising, Packaging, Point-of-Sale, Uniforms and MoreLOUISVILLE, KY – KFC Corporation (a division of YUM! Brands, Inc. NYSE:YUM) today became the world’s first brand visible from outer space by unveiling a record-breaking 87,500 square feet, updated Colonel Sanders logo in the Area 51 desert. The event marks the official debut of a massive global re-image campaign that will contemporize 14,000-plus KFC restaurants in over 80 countries over the next few years.
KFC’s new fresh look updates one of the most recognized, respected and beloved brand icons in the world and spans all visual elements from logo to restaurant design, advertising, packaging, uniforms and more.
The new logo depicts Colonel Sanders with his signature string tie, but for the first time, replaces his classic white, double-breasted suit with a red apron. The apron symbolizes the home-style culinary heritage of the brand and reminds customers that KFC is always in the kitchen cooking delicious, high-quality, freshly prepared chicken by hand, just the way Colonel Sanders did 50 years ago.
“The Colonel is truly a global icon and we want everyone in the universe to see KFC’s new look of the future,” said Gregg Dedrick, president of KFC Corp. “KFC is boldly going where no brand has gone before as Colonel Sanders takes one small step for humankind, but one giant leap for fried chicken.”
The giant Colonel Sanders logo was built off The World’s Only Extraterrestrial Highway in Rachel, Nevada, also known as the “UFO Capital of the World,” and the epicenter of inter-galactic communication.
“If there are extraterrestrials in outer space, KFC wants to become their restaurant of choice. For now, we’ll be very content satisfying the entire human population with our Finger Lickin’ Good Chicken. Besides, who knows if extraterrestrials even have fingers? If we hear back from a life form in space today – whether NASA astronauts or a signal from some life form on Mars – we’ll send up some Original Recipe Chicken,” said Dedrick.
Earthlings can join in the fun today by visiting www.kfc.com to see the huge logo and have a chance to win by spotting the Colonel’s secret message hidden within the Area 51 desert logo. The first 10,000 sharp-eyed KFC fans to correctly identify the secret message and post the answer at www.kfc.com will win a certificate for a free KFC Snacker sandwich.
The Colonel’s Top Secret Mission
The massive logo, which was referred to as the “Face from Space” by the project team, is so large it dwarfs one of America’s largest and most famous landmarks – Mt. Rushmore. The huge carved faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln would all fit easily in the “Face from Space.” There would even be enough room left over for a fifth presidential face in the Colonel Sanders logo!It took a team of nearly 50 designers, engineers, scientists (including astrophysicists), architects and other professionals working nearly three months to conceive, create and execute building the world’s largest logo.
The “Face from Space” took more than 3,000 hours to create from inception to launch and was built by Synergy, a leading event company.
The logo consists of 65,000 one-foot by one-foot painted tile pieces that were assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle: 6,000 red, 14,000 white, 12,000 eggshell, 5,000 beige and 28,000 black.
The logo took 24 days, working around-the-clock, to manufacture and ultimately produce. It then took six days on site to construct the logo, during which time the logo design pieces were kept hidden and under cover from identified and unidentified flying objects.
Area 51′s secretive nature and link to classified aircraft research and reports of unusual phenomena, have led it to become the centerpiece of modern UFO and conspiracy theory. Other key activities associated with Area 51 include rumors of meetings with extraterrestrials, the development of time travel technology and the storage, examination and reverse engineering of crashed alien spacecraft (including material supposedly recovered at Roswell, NM).
Due to the unprecedented nature of the project, the team endured numerous twists and turns along the way including a freak torrential downpour that rendered the original site inaccessible. The first location was in the flatlands of Utah near the home of the very first KFC restaurant.
A state-of-the-art GEO satellite captured the image of the logo as it circled the earth at an altitude of 423 miles. To see an image of the logo go www.kfc.com. This is only the fourth time in more than 50 years that the logo has changed.
KFC Restaurant of the Future
After three years of testing different restaurant designs in the U.S. and international markets, KFC is today revealing its restaurant look of the future. KFC’s new global image is in the process of rolling out in restaurants around the world and will be implemented in newly constructed stores within the next 12 months.The new global restaurant design is refreshing, contemporary, highly-differentiated and helps keep KFC relevant with customers by giving them a higher quality overall dining experience. The new design is based on thoughtful strategic tenets which provide a strong brand image foundation, while being flexible for different international market needs. It communicates a progressive and energetic spirit for KFC and prepares the brand for future global growth.
Design features for the U.S. may include:
KFC Popularity Soars to New Heights as One of the World’s Fastest Growing Brands – Opening Up More Than One New Restaurant Each Day of the YearSince the first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant opened its doors in Utah in 1952, the brand continues to enjoy growing popularity around the world. The company’s top markets outside the United States are China, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, Mexico, and Europe, including France, Germany, the Netherlands and Holland. KFC is also tapping growth in important emerging markets such as India, Russia and Brazil. Each new restaurant opening brings jobs and career opportunities along with economic vitality for that community.
KFC’s enduring success and popularity is attributed to a relentless focus on great taste, high quality and the nearly 500,000 talented Customer Maniacs focused on providing great service to the 4.5 billion guests that visit our restaurants around the world each year.
About KFC
KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Ky., is the world’s most popular chicken restaurant chain specializing in Original Recipe®, Extra Crispy™ and Colonel’s Crispy Strips® with home-style sides, Honey BBQ Wings, and freshly made chicken sandwiches. There are more than 14,000 KFC outlets in more than 80 countries and territories around the world, serving some 12 million customers each day. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE: YUM.)###
All this talk about Chicken is making me hungry for some hot wings 
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This post was written by Pete Abilla | ||||
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