A new campaign for KFC channels the nostalgic appeal of Kentucky Fried Chicken. To sell more finger lickin’ good chicken, Toronto’s Ogilvy & Mather leveraged the good feelings the product inspires, says Nancy Vonk, co-creative director at the agency. ‘A lot of brands don’t have that heritage.’

KFC’s first-ever Heritage Days Promotion, including TV, print and radio, will mark the late Colonel Sanders’ birthday on Sept. 9. KFC has brought back product packaging from the 1950s, including the old orange and white bucket, with the Colonel’s smiling face emblazoned on the side.

‘We’ve been celebrating the Colonel’s birthday for a really long time,’ says Chris Davies, director of culture and communications for KFC-owned Priszm Brands. But Davies says KFC has never done a promotion on this level before, and they hope to drive customers into stores and keep them coming back. KFC’s ongoing research shows a trigger for their customers is the feelings they have about the brand.

The TV spot, called ‘Dream,’ uses footage from 1970s ads, and features a man caught in a reverie of nostalgia for Kentucky Fried Chicken. He enjoys a family picnic featuring the Colonel’s secret recipe and remembers the old commercials, from the days when we had time to say ‘Kentucky Fried Chicken,’ instead of ‘KFC.’

The campaign kicks off Aug. 26.

Credits

Client: Priszm Brands/KFC

Agency: Ogilvy and Mather

Creative Directors: Nancy Vonk, Janet Kestin

Art Directors: Brian MacDonald, Donald Vann

Copywriter: Morgan Kurchak

Producer: Ken Rodger

Account Director: Stephanie Gordon

Production House: Pure Films

Director: Mark Mainguy