KFC–USA Softball Sponsorship
jtherkal: An oft-overlooked aspect of advertising is sponsorships. Companies sponsor events, NASCAR Drivers, boxers, etc. in hopes that their brand will have some visibility and become associated with whatever or whoever it is they’re sponsoring. Recently, I came across what I believe is a brilliant partnership:
Kentucky Fried Chicken and Team USA Women’s Softball (is there another kind of official softball?)
Husky girls eating fried chicken. What a beautiful vision. Eleven sweaty, post-practice softball players sat down at the dinner table, tearing through family bucket after family bucket, drenched in gravy, and grease, peppered with biscuit crumbs. KFC sponsored the 2007 World Series of softball and are now associated with the 2008 Bound-4-Beijing pre-Olympic tour. One of the worker bees in the KFC marketing department should get a raise, becuase the idea clearly didn’t come from their marketing CEO:
“The partnership between KFC and the 3rd World Cup of Softball is going to be a home run for our brand,” said James O’Reilly, Chief Marketing Officer for KFC. “It’s a thrill to be associated with some of the world’s best athletes and a dream come true to sponsor ‘America’s Real Dream Team’ — USA Softball.”
James O’Reilly is not only terribly unoriginal, but also delusional. A home run? America’s Real Dream Team? Come on, James, you can do better than that. Luckily, he has someone very competent working for him. Though this probably reached a very limited audience, it was a very well targeted one. Beefy high school girls with low self-esteem and healthy appetites. A.
sjbooher: When my compadre goes down this path, I let him journey all by his lonesome. No comment.
Tags: KFC, Sponsorships, USA Women's Softball