KFC’s latest ad reminds you it’s not AFC, BFC, or even CFC

Since May 1965, when the doors of the first ever British branch of KFC opened in the Lancashire city of Preston, Colonel Sanders and his band of merry frying men have been filling buckets with their unique blend of herbs and spices. Now, it seems, they’ve had enough of the competition.

A new campaign, orchestrated as ever by Mother London, sees the man they describe as “the original chicken don,” pounding the UK’s pavements assessing the competition. “From AFC to ZFC, there can scarcely be a more heavily imitated brand in the world than KFC,” Mother says. “Although they can try to match the name, and can draw heavy inspiration from the logo, the reality is that this legion of imitators will never be able to match the iconic taste of KFC.”

In turn, the advert whizzes viewers on an alphabetical tour of 26 chicken shops in the company of Harland Sanders, before being reminded that “there’s only one colonel in Chicken Town.”

The glossy spot is soundtracked by a specially-commissioned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performance of Nino Rota’s Love Theme, a slightly overwrought number which you might recongnise from The Godfather. Nothing says doomed love quite like a Zinger Tower Burger and a Krushem, after all.

The campaign launched yesterday (21 March) with adverts being beamed into living rooms and cinemas up and down the country. They’ll be joined by the usual out of home, press, social, and digital routes.