KFC Marketing Campaign introduces Drumstick Corsage

Published April 28, 2014 at 9:36 am

As we’ve discussed previously on this blog, a marketing stunt can be a novel way to draw attention to a product. Sometimes marketers turn to really strange concepts to make a stunt stand out, and campaigns that strike a nerve with audiences may have the potential to go viral. Holidays and other important occasions occurring throughout the year can be good times to capitalize on well-known themes for creative campaigns.

During springtime, many high schools around the country have their annual prom dance. The prom is know to be somewhat of a rite of passage for high school students, and commonly includes the tradition of the boy presenting a flower corsage to his date when he picks her up to go to the dance. In a strange twist on the prom tradition, Kentucky Fried Chicken has put out a marketing campaign about a corsage that is not made from flowers, but from a chicken drumstick.

The ad depicts a young man going to pick up his prom date at her house. The parents watch as he places a corsage with a chicken drumstick onto their daughter’s wrist. Near the end of the ad, the couple is shown dancing at the prom, but when the boy goes in for the kiss his date takes a bite of the chicken corsage instead.

The campaign is more than just a funny video—100 people were able to purchase their very own corsage drumstick kits from a florist with a gift certificate good for $5 to buy a drumstick from KFC.

The idea may seem strange, but the first 100 corsage kits sold out. Due to popular demand, the company has made additional kits available. As ridiculous as KFC’s marketing gimmick may be, it shows that humorous marketing stunts are still good at attracting attention, as the ad has reached over 700,000 views on YouTube.