KFChicane
Facing immense pressure from deep-pocketed competitors, KFC had to fight to stand out in a sea of same: promos, BOGOs, price-offs. UM helped KFC “Hack the Track”, integrating the brand into the look, sound, rhythm, and powerful culture of F1 racing. Our key anchor: the F1 red-and-white chicane, which looked exactly like KFC’s iconic bucket design. However, the real media innovation was building and activating a unique media ecosystem that fueled and compounded awareness through OOH, broadcast, social, experiential, and the F1 track itself. Our campaign Harnessed the hype, driving mass excitement through OOH that paired F1 chicanes with KFC buckets; Leveraged entertainment culture, partnering with the blockbuster F1 movie, reaching fans through cinema pre-show, Meta, TikTok; Hijacked F1’s famous “box box” audio cue, shared between drivers and pit crews, driving instant memorability to support KFC’s 2-for-1 “Box Box Meal.”; and Won the Street by launching an Uber fleet of unmissable, KFC-wrapped “F1 race cars”, taking over Montreal’s streets. KFC became the #1 QSR during one of the year’s toughest competitive periods, driving norm-busting engagement levels, outstanding customer acquisition, and stunning sales lifts vs YAGO.