Why KFC Canada Held a Funeral for Its Bland French Fries
One of the most disappointing things in life is mediocre french fries. You expect this crisp bite, dusted in a layer of fine seasoning - perhaps ready to be dunked into a sauce of preference - you bring it to your mouth, and, whomp whomp… the outside is mushy, the inside is paste, and the whole thing overwhelmingly tastes of the fryer oil it was cooked in.
Unfortunately, whether it’s in a box or on a plate, this culinary calamity is something most people have probably experienced at least once - especially if they happened to be regular enjoyers of KFC Canada in the past. Let’s face it, the brand’s fry game was not up to snuff.
However, after weathering its fair share of criticism over the years, the message came through loud and clear; it was time for a change, and the release of ‘New Seasoned Fries’. But how was the country to be made aware of this? Enter Courage. Rather than just tell people about the new menu option, the agency marked the end of the ‘Soggy Fry Era’ by holding an over-the-top funeral. Packing a custom coffin to the gills with old, dubious french fries, this campaign included a full procession through the streets of Toronto (starting at a KFC and hitting high traffic locations like Yonge-Dundas Square and the Budweiser Stage), an online ceremony complete with a eulogy paying homage - and disdain - to the old fries, and an hour-long livestream on August 1st.
To learn more about how this all came to pass, and the story behind the campaign which has since gone on to reach 3.7 billion impressions, LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with Courage associate creative directors Matt Miller and Tommy Yong.
LBB> What was the brief, and what immediate ideas came to mind?
Matt & Tommy> KFC came to us with an exciting announcement about the arrival of its ‘New Seasoned Fries’. But, what really got our minds racing was the catalyst for why it had a new fry recipe in the first place: KFC’s old fries sucked. Not to mention, its nickname for the old fry box was ‘the fry coffin’ - where fries go to die. It was that insight that kicked off the whole campaign.
LBB> Having a funeral livestream to commemorate the end of bad fries is super clever! What made this the right creative approach for the job?
Matt & Tommy> For us, giving KFC fans (and fry haters) a chance to say goodbye to the old fries in a memorable way was important. It's one thing to say you're saying goodbye to your old fries, but it's another to actually do it for real and have a funeral. And, the response from Canadians who engaged with the campaign really proved that.
LBB> What was the writing process like? How did you ensure it would be entertaining while also getting the main campaign points across, and also scalable into shorter version spots?
Matt & Tommy> The whole writing process actually started with looking up eulogy scenes from TV and movies. Movie eulogies are full of cliches, and tapping into those gave us a great structure to weave little quips and jokes about the fries. All in all, it was a joy to write this eulogy… something I'll probably never say again.
LBB> Who directed, and what made them the perfect person for the job?
Matt & Tommy> Petit Common (Hope Little). She's an incredibly talented up-and-coming director at Spy Films. Her background is in production design, and we felt like her expertise in creating incredible looks in film would translate super well for our funeral. She's also just super funny, and when it comes to a dry comedic ad like ‘Fry Funeral’, she fit like a glove. She killed it!
LBB> And what was the shooting process like? Where were you, how long did it take, and do you have any anecdotes from on set?
Matt & Tommy> It was all about getting the eulogy read in one great, funny take. We set up multiple camera angles and captured the funeral just like you would for any other major figure, but with a lot more art direction, style, and soggy french fries. We shot lots of teasers as well, and those were incredibly fun. The coffin closing on its own was a one-take wonder.
LBB> Tell us about the coffin filled with fries! What was the design process like, and how many fries did you have to make to actually fill the thing?
Matt & Tommy> We always intended for the fry coffin to mirror the look of the real fry box the old fries used to come in. It then came down to finding a white casket that we loved, and adding vinyl to add the KFC touches.
Of course, it really came to life with the fries. I can't really say how many fries, but there were a lot… if someone guesses the right number, maybe we should give them the casket.
LBB> The music is equally fitting! How did you find it, and what was this process like?
Matt & Tommy> It was a dreary day of listening; sad funeral song after sad funeral song. And then we found that track with the choir and it made us howl. It just adds this epic nature to it and was a great way to transition to the new fries. Kudos to Vapor Music for finding it.
LBB> And what about the one-hour livestream itself? How did this aspect come to life?
Matt & Tommy> Livestreams are trickier than you'd think. We actually had to watch tutorials from Twitch and YouTube streamers to crack it. It's something you want to nail the first time it airs, and then you can just play the funeral over and over. Ultimately, we’re super happy with how it turned out. And, the live commentary was hilarious!
LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project, and what lessons did you learn in the process?
Matt & Tommy> I think the biggest one was bringing the coffin around Toronto with the hearse. Honestly, it's just Toronto traffic. It sucks, but we had an amazing hearse driver who made it all happen.
Beyond that, honestly, we learned just how important amazing partners and clients are. This was by no means a ‘safe’ campaign, but it just proves that courageous work is worth it. KFC was on board from the start and trusted us to have a straight up funeral for its old fries. Without the brand’s incredible support, this campaign would never have landed.
LBB> And how have people reacted to this campaign?
Matt & Tommy> Last time we saw the number, it was 3.7 billion impressions… Billion with a ‘B’... with three commas. It’s unbelievable, and it has taken off globally as well. Ultimately, this campaign was all about listening to KFC customers. They hated the old fries. This unabashedly owns that. I think that's where the success comes from.
LBB> Finally, is there anything you’d like to say about KFC’s new seasoned fries?
Matt & Tommy> They slap. Like seriously, so good!
