Dodging the Mafioso in ‘Chicken Town’.
In case you’re not from London, England (where I hail from), you should know that Fried Chicken is kind of a big deal here. Yes, we have KFC, but the Colonel’s glaring red chicken castle is far from the only game in town.
There are plenty of ‘imitations’ of the Colonel’s successful chicken chain, and then we have imitations of the imitations too. Confused? Let me explain. Apart from Kentucky Fried Chicken, we also have Southern Fried Chicken (SFC), Taste of Tennessee (Yep. That’s a thing), Chicken King, Chicken Cottage, Perfect Fried Chicken and, of course, the now infamous “Morley’s”. If you are practically anywhere out in South London on a weekend evening, you’ll be familiar with Morley’s popularity.
So, it’s really no surprise that KFC would choose to play on these legions of what they term ‘imitators’ in their latest ad campaign. Still, I personally find the tone of the ad a little bewildering, but I suppose it could be seen as a bold choice from the famous brand.
The God Colonel?
The new video campaign is something of a Goodfella’s view of the Colonel. Overseeing his territory with a critical eye, and a dangerous smirk worthy of The Godfather himself, the Colonel rolls through “Chicken Town” in a striking red Lincoln Continental.
Blink and you’ll miss him, but the Colonel does make a very brief on-screen appearance during the ad, with a shot of the windscreen mirror showing him at the wheel. Interestingly, the Colonel only appeared in a UK advert for the first time last year. US Readers will be far more familiar with his appearance on their screens, I’m sure. But for us in the UK, KFC’s advertising campaigns are still uncharted waters, where the Colonel is concerned.
The Colonel’s latest UK appearance also takes place to the backdrop of Nino Rota’s stunning ‘Love Theme’, which many of you will recognize from having watched The Godfather. So stay with me, The Colonel is now a Mafioso and the streets of London are now “Chicken Town”, got it?
As the Colonel glances out over the other, inevitably smaller imitation chains lining the streets, he smirks and comments “Good luck to them, I guess. Give them something to aim for…”. Although there is a slight air of arrogance in this particular depiction of the familiar Colonel, ultimately it could be perceived as an overtly proud campaign on KFC’s part.
Admittedly, though, it’s difficult to criticize KFC for utilizing the 100s, if not 1000s, of copies that they have to compete with as part of their own campaign.
Still, there is the faint whiff of Corporatism attached to this advert. Many of the smaller chicken shops throughout London are small independent business’s, some run by whole families. Others like Morley’s are a licensed Franchise that people buy into, in the hopes of changing their fortunes. It does almost give the impression that ‘The Colonel’ aka KFC, objects to their very existence.
At the very least, it seems to mock these other franchises as small fry (Yep! I couldn’t resist!), incapable of ever rising to the lofty heights of KFC’s poultry empire. But some of these smaller stores aren’t necessarily trying to become Chicken-King Billionaires. They have more modest goals, like providing a good steady income, or supporting the store/franchise owners family.
Is KFC suggesting they shouldn't exist? That only KFC should be allowed to sell us fried chicken in cardboard boxes? That would be a shame, because honestly, the Morley’s chain I mentioned earlier? The chicken tastes just as good, if not better, and it’s cheaper too. Though even Morley’s significantly smaller brand is not immune from imitators.
Bottom line, KFC’s latest campaign imagery, and music, work together to make us aware of KFC’s powerful position in the fast-food market. That was their aim, and they’ve done it well.
What could be overlooked amidst the bold, hubristic tone is a recognition that KFC’s recipe has put them where they are. The message is consistent and unambiguous: you simply cannot strive to reach KFC’s levels of market domination with an easily imitated product.
So let this serve as both guidepost and warning for any ambitious chicken entrepreneurs out there. This is Chicken Town, and it’s run by The Colonel. Pay your respects to The Don, or you might just find yourself ‘Whacked’ by The Colonel himself.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Thank you for reading my work. If you enjoyed this article, please give it a clap. If you have a Medium account, please consider following me for more content! As always, Write On!
