KFC, South Africa’s number one fried chicken restaurant, had lost its relevancy amongst younger audiences - this was felt in declining sales & overall negative sentiments. We needed to remind them of the power of our iconic finger lickin’ good Taste and the great lengths that people would go to get their hands on it. And so, KFC introduced their new creative platform – ANYTHING FOR THE TASTE.
To bring it to life, we found a story that’d been constantly resurfacing; a man posing as a KFC food inspector in order to get free KFC. The urban legend quickly became a fan favourite. KFC used these reports as inspiration for the campaign.
To help “catch” the elusive culprit, KFC launched a nationwide investigation, and hired Private Investigator, Beckett Mathunzi. He swore to leave no chicken crumb unturned.
INTRODUCING THE KFC PI DIARIES.
THE SOCIAL MEDIA INVESTIGATION THAT GRIPPED A NATION.
The investigation unfolded as an online content series where Beckett followed the chicken crumbs to catch the elusive fake inspector with an insatiable appetite for free KFC chicken.
It also roped in a legion of content creators that drove the investigation through their social channels – each creating and leading their own investigations with KFC at the heart of them.
The campaign included…
Social Media Wanted Posters were shared online which showed ordinary South Africans as suspects, while influencers called out their friends and family publicly to broaden the reach and impact of the investigation.
A dedicated tip-off hotline widened the search and exploded on social. The influencers called in to give KFC leads on who the culprit might be, while calling their followers to do the same.
A legion of culture creators took to their social channels to conduct their own investigations and drive the investigation from their respective cultural circles. No South African who loved KFC was safe from long arms of Beckett Mathunzi.
The results:
+10 million views in one week.
18% increase in sales compared to last year
61x Youtube CTR as per average industry benchmark
#1 brand among youth
