Kentucky Fried Chicken better known as KFC has gone out of its way to woo vegetarians in the country. The quick service restaurant chain that served a variety of fried chicken items will now serve a lot many vegetarian options, in a bid to tap into the vast vegetarian consumer segment. For the promotions, KFC has launched the ‘So Veg So Good’ campaign with a TVC featuring comedian and actor Vir Das. The campaign focuses on the new vegetarian entrants in the KFC menu, starting with ‘Paneer Zinger’.
Conceived by Ogilvy & Mather, the TVC starts with Vir Das and his friends seated at a KFC outlet. As Vir bites into his zinger, he proceeds to describe this gastronomic delight with each bite. He does this in an interesting poetic manner, such that you wonder what he is having. Meanwhile, his friends look on surprised at his new discovery. Vir finally gives away the name as ‘Paneer Zinger’, a name he isn’t happy with for a zinger burger as he just described.
Aside from associating a ‘paneer’ zinger to something so delicious, the ad film makes you want to bite into one right away. I don’t know what’s unexciting about the name though.
‘So veg so good’ goes social
The campaign was introduced on social media a few days prior with teaser updates. Fans were asked to guess what Vir Das was going crazy about at KFC. Beginning April, the brand updated its Facebook cover photo with messages like ‘What’s up with Vir Das?’ The Twitter page put up tweets talking about Das’s new romantic interest.
Vir Das also contributed by tweeting about the new campaign to his followers. This was followed by inviting the community to express their reaction on KFC coming up with veg options using memes, and a fitting hahstag #omgKFChasveg. The best memes were gratified with KFC vouchers.
We caught @thevirdas darting out of KFC outlet with lead starlet of KFC’s new campaign!Could it be his mystery love? pic.twitter.com/ud2cwfAEz7
— KFC India (@KFC_India) April 3, 2014
Very happy to be associated with brand @KFC_India With their really fun new campaign, and their tasty buns……………..wait………
— Vir Das (@thevirdas) April 4, 2014
#omgKFChasVEG What was your first bite of KFC’s new Paneer Zinger like? Make a meme out of your epic reaction and tweet it to WIN vouchers!
— KFC India (@KFC_India) April 5, 2014
OMG,we just loved your hilarious meme entries for our #omgKFChasVEG moment! Give it up for our winner @zoomharish :) pic.twitter.com/mnGg3gfsgt
— KFC India (@KFC_India) April 16, 2014
Following a few remarks by thorough vegetarians who do not approve of KFC bringing in veg, the QSR brand has launched an adorable animated love story – ‘KFC’s Great Divide’ to demonstrate how veg and non veg items are prepared separately at KFC. A chicken zinger and a paneer zinger fall in love but are unable to meet each other, because of KFC’s rules for the two categories.
Reaching out to vegetarians
The association of chicken and KFC is so long and strong that it is quite a shocker to believe KFC has veg options. For a brand strongly associated with chicken, it might take a lot of cajoling to lure the vegetarian consumer, a number found in large numbers in the country to which is added a section that refrains from non-veg food on certain weekdays. KFC’s ‘So veg so good’ campaign does leave a strong mark among this consumer with its fun campaign and social media engagement.
Creating the buzz on social media through teasers and then involving users with meme-making contests also helps add a fun flavour to the communication. Besides, it is noteworthy to see a global brand take keenly to local culture and come up with an animated video to answer consumer concerns with the new offering.
The ultimate deal, however, is how Indians take to KFC veg food items. Till then its ‘So veg so good’!
Read more: KFC India: Take A Kitchen Tour But Do Not Ask About The Worms In Your Chicken