KFC said it gave away all 3,000 bottles of its Extra Crispy-scented sunscreen lotion yesterday, a tongue-in-cheek enticement intended to remind the public that the brand sells two types of fried chicken (50% of consumers don’t know about the Extra Crispy version, headquarters acknowledged).
The come-on was also a nod to the chain’s running gag of using a parade of stars to portray founder Colonel Harland Sanders. The current impersonator is George Hamilton, a star known for having a perpetual near-perfect tan.
Both gimmicks are the latest in a long string of marketing ploys the chicken chain has used in recent years to snag attention and present an edgy image to the public. Here’s a review of some memorable past efforts.