KFC's New Double Down Advertising

Students on a Louisville, Ky. university campus serve
as “human billboards, advertising the KFC Double Down
sandwich on the backsides of their sweat pants. Photo by KFC.

So I got a press release from KFC yesterday, announcing a new ad campaign for the Double Down sandwich.  The short version is:  KFC is advertising Double Downs by putting the logo on the asses of college girls.  The girls get bright red sweatpants, KFC gift certificates to distribute, and $500 for their trouble, and KFC gets to shout "DOUBLE DOWN!" at every guy on campus who ogles an ass.

LOUISVILLE, Ky., September 21, 2010 – Forget park benches, sky writing or on-blimp advertising. KFC is taking advertising to a whole new medium: the backsides of college sweat pants.

Via the creative on-clothing ad campaign, the chicken chain will recruit college co-eds to serve as “human billboards.” On select college campuses, female undergraduates will sport KFC Double Down branded sweat pants to encourage students to try the unique bun-less sandwich.

KFC launched the initiative this week in Louisville, Ky., where brand ambassadors sporting the one-of-a-kind Double Down clothing attracted fellow students across campus with KFC gift certificates.  Female students interested in becoming ambassadors at their schools may contact KFC on the company’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/kfc).  KFC will select students at three additional campuses and outfit them with the customized sweat pants, KFC gift checks to distribute and a $500 stipend for their involvement. 

“It’s hard to imagine anyone escaped the buzz of the Double Down earlier this year,” said John Cywinski, Chief Marketing and Food Innovation Officer for KFC. “But in an effort to reach consumers coast-to-coast, and especially our key target of young men, we’ve established yet another advertising first – one that’s fitting of the Double Down’s head-turning history.”

KFC also is encouraging Double Down fans to unite and show their loyalty to the one-of-a-kind sandwich by joining the “Order of the Double Down” via a new KFC Facebook page. There, fans are encouraged to profess their love of the sandwich, challenge their friends to eat the “Greater Food” and consult the Double Down Oracle. The Double Down Facebook page can be found at www.facebook.com/theorderofthedoubledown.

I went over to The Order of the Double Down on Facebook and said I'd love to be a "brand ambassador" too, but I don't think they're going to take me up on it.  Just as well, I guess.  My fat old ass wouldn't look that great in a pair of bright red sweatpants anyway.
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