KFC celebrates zero grams trans fat conversion with a TV AD first

KFC Takes Viral Video Stars from Internet to the Small Screen in First-Ever TV Commercial Created Entirely from Consumer-Generated Content

» View the Zero Grams Trans Fat “Celebration” TV ad

LOUISVILLE, KY - Continuing its legacy of innovative marketing, Kentucky Fried Chicken is reinventing the commercial production process and celebrating its fans with a new ad that’s all about them. Gathering “talent” from an unlikely source - the internet’s most popular video sharing communities - KFC’s new “Celebration” spot for its Zero Grams Trans Fat conversion includes content taken entirely from existing consumer generated video.

The spot, developed by DraftFCB, is scheduled to debut during the American Idol® finale on Tuesday, May 22, and features 13 clips showing people caught in mid-celebration. The video celebrations had been posted on some of the internet’s most popular sites before being discovered by KFC.

The 15-second commercial continues KFC’s new campaign, “The Bucket’s Back,” and builds on the nationwide excitement generated by the company’s April 2007 conversion to zero grams trans fat cooking oil.

“We kept the finger lickin’ good taste of KFC when we rolled out our zero grams of trans fat per serving menu items last month - and America has sounded its approval,” said James O’Reilly, chief marketing officer for KFC. “The people who love KFC are the heroes of our brand, so how better to bring that excitement to other consumers than by showing the celebrations of real people?”

Everyday Stars
Whether celebrating a last-minute birthday getaway, a favorite team’s victory or a granddaughter’s joy, the stars and amateur videographers of KFC’s “Celebration” commercial were all shocked to hear about their upcoming prime-time appearance.

For Kelly Brinson, who appears in the ad dancing in her sister’s kitchen, the call from KFC offered a sense of destiny -- as Brinson tried out repeatedly for American Idol®, the show the ad will debut in Tuesday night. Brinson never made the initial cut.

“I definitely never thought the video of me dancing that my sister and her boyfriend posted online would be my big break into the finals,” said Brinson, 18, from Powder Springs, Ga.

For grandfather Claude Goodwin, he’s glad to be able to show off his pride and joy on national television.

“I’m just excited to share my granddaughter’s joy with the world,” Goodwin, 59, from New York City said of Maya Elizabeth Crumpton, Goodwin’s one year old granddaughter from Mebane, N.C.

“The KFC brand itself is a genuine, real-people kind of brand so using consumer generated content just made sense,” said Tom O’Keefe, chief creative officer of Draftfcb Chicago.

Zero Grams Trans Fat
After nearly three years of research, planning and much anticipation, KFC announced in April 2007 that its restaurants nationwide were serving its classic, finger lickin’ good fried chicken with zero grams of trans fat per serving. Introducing a low linolenic soybean oil in place of the partially hydrogenated soybean oil previously used in KFC restaurants in the United States, the zero grams of trans fat per serving menu now includes all of KFC’s fried chicken products, such as its famous Original Recipe® and Extra Crispy™ chicken, Crispy Strips, Wings, Boneless Wings, Honey BBQ, Buffalo and Crispy KFC Snacker® Sandwiches, Popcorn Chicken, Twisters® and KFC’s Potato Wedges.

AMERICAN IDOL ® is a registered trademark of 19 TV Ltd. and FremantleMedia North America, Inc.