KFC U.S. on Thursday selected MullenLowe its new creative agency of record. The Boston-based advertising and marketing firm will become the chicken chain’s strategic and creative lead agency of record effective immediately.
The Louisville, Ky.-based chain said in September that it had started a review of its agencies for its lead creative spot. The company said it chose MullenLowe as its new partner because of its orientation toward digital and social communication.
“They understand the consumer, the consumer’s needs and how to shift consumer behavior,” Nick Chavez, chief marketing officer for KFC U.S., said in a statement.
MullenLowe joins an integrated agency team that includes Spark Foundry, which focuses on media planning and buying, the public relations firm Edelman, the digital firm Basic and the multicultural creative firm Nimbus.
KFC has been an aggressive marketer in recent years, using a series of innovative campaigns designed to get attention, such as the Colonel Sanders bearskin rug and a series of ads using different celebrities to play the role of the chain’s famous founder. The effort has helped the brand’s domestic operations recover after years of challenges. Its same-store sales have increased for eight straight years and rose 12% on a two-year basis in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31.
“KFC has created some of the most iconic creative that the world has ever seen,” Kelly Fredrickson, president of MullenLowe Boston, said in a statement. “At every stage of the process our aim was to get better and smarter. This win is a fantastic endorsement of the team’s ability to dig deep into the customer culture and to participate in the conversations they are having with each other to truly drive behavior change.”
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