The intention to develop around the crispiness of KFC’s menu is a direct challenge to competitors McDonald’s and Burger King, said Stephane Gaubert, chief creative officer of Havas Paris. He points out that the recipe for crispy chicken is the same today as it was in 1952. That origin story is reflected in the film.
In France, the chicken sandwich drives around half of KFC sales, which is why it features prominently in the ad. Unlike the Big Mac or Whopper, Cailleau said the KFC Chicken Sandwich does not “sit at the intersection” of French culture. He hopes this work will change that.
A KFC rap to build fame
Playing throughout the 48-second film is a hip-hop track titled “Too Hot for You,” written and recorded just for the ad. But there is a bigger plan in mind.
Recorded by Anna Kova and Soslo, the track is set to support future campaigns and is heavily focused on the “Crispy” creative platform.
The challenge for us is to keep the brand heritage and the American DNA.
Stephane Gaubert, CCO, Havas Paris
The creative team at Havas had previously written a track for the first campaign that also focused on the crispy message. Despite that, the decision was made to partner with a known artist to create a new track that would allow KFC France to introduce brand cues with the aim of becoming as recognizable as those held by its main competitors. Think McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It.”
“The challenge for us was to keep the brand heritage and the American DNA. We don’t want to seem like another brand, but at the same time give more familiarity to our consumers. So we tried to create that through the music,” added Cailleau.
“I think it’s part of the success of this campaign,” he said. According to Kantar’s data, he is correct. The music in the ad was found to have helped to connect the “crispy” message while also improving overall engagement and emotional connection with audiences.
Gaubert explained that the major challenge in developing the campaign was to retain the history of the brand but modernize it for today’s consumers. “That was the most complicated part,” he admits.
“It’s a change, but it’s a good change!” he said.
