3X FAST FOOD MOVES TO FEED CREATIVITY

January: the month our bodies are finally cleansed of all the bad stuff we consumed over the festive period. Hungry for some better choices, for many of us it’s out with the junk food and in with a healthier mindset.

Makes sense then that food companies have been going all out these past few months – vying for our attention by making smart and creative marketing moves to break through the January blackouts and stay on our radars.

Here are three delicious fast food plays that got our mouths watering:

KFC DROPS THE NEEDLE ON INTERACTIVE FESTIVE PACKAGING

Taking inspiration from a holiday album released by the fried chicken chain back in the ‘60s, KFC recently launched a limited edition piece of festive packaging that featured an actual record. Aptly named ‘Kentucky Fried Carols’, the stunt saw a Christmassy reimagining of the Colonel’s iconic mini bucket by taking the cardboard lid, coating it in vinyl, and etching it – making it completely playable.

Containing four chicken-themed Christmas songs to see snackers through the holiday season, the album incorporated the sounds of a real KFC kitchen, with tidbits such as an 11 herb-and-spices shaker and sizzling vats of oil.

Dhaval Bhatt, CCO of Courage, who created the impressive packaging feat, said: “The bucket is one of [KFC’s] most recognisable assets, so using a different part of it gave us a chance to create something truly surprising. It allowed us to take something familiar and make it new, all while staying true to KFC’s fun spirit and ability to stand out.”

KFC is no stranger to fun packaging plays. This musical number came just weeks after the UK arm of KFC collaborated with artist SOLDIER to launch some ‘lickable’ festive wrapping paper. Infused with seasonal scents of fried chicken, sage and cranberry, the release sold out within minutes of its drop.

PEPSI DISPATCHES UNDERCOVER CUPS

In a bid to take first place in the never-ending ‘Cola Wars’, the end of 2024 saw Pepsi take a swipe at huge fast food chains across the US for choosing to serve Coca-Cola alongside their meals.

Using the line, “Every burger deserves a Pepsi”, the parody ad saw so-called ‘Pepsi Chasers’ pull up to parking lots of burger joints such as McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s to swap out cups of Coke and replace them with Pepsi. The stunt then rolled out to real life, with Pepsi branded cars reportedly following pizza delivery drivers to give them cases of the soda.

Clever design pieces also featured throughout the ad, with soda cups from each fast food brand being swapped out for Pepsified versions. For example, McDonald’s iconic Golden Arches were replaced for Pepsi Ps, while the face of Wendy’s was given a blue, red and black makeover.

The stunt is just another play in Pepsi’s bid to come out on top, after it was announced last year that Dr Pepper had overtaken them to take second place for favourite soda brand in the US.

MCDONALD’S JAPAN TEAMS UP WITH BEAMS FOR A TASTY COLLAB

At the beginning of each year, Japanese consumers go crazy for Fukubukuro, or “Lucky Bags”, where stores of all kinds fill bargain pouches with random (and often exclusive) contents. Made to signal fortune and good luck, the tradition is something that McDonald’s goes hard on each year.

This year, the fast food kings chose to team up with BEAMS, the Tokyo-based fashion label, to create a series of unique items to feature within their Lucky Bags. The four-piece collection consisted of a Big Mac-themed lantern, a hand-shaped potato catcher (for mess-free fry eating), neatly designed zip-up pouches, and a set of microfibre cloths. The bags, which were only available to a lucky number of lottery winners, also contained up to $23 USD in free products.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen these two behemoths join forces, however. In 2017, a similar team-up saw a series of totes, T-shirts and phone cases fly off the shelves in a similar type of fry-fuelled frenzy. So it seems that, with the right moves in play, January isn’t all doom and gloom for fast-food joints after all.

Words by Emma Cocker, Copywriter.

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