Using a small but iconic aspect of its longtime logo, KFC is launching a new campaign to let Canadians know that it has extended its hours at 653 locations.
The “Bolo Ti(m)e” campaign, created by Courage, uses Colonel Sanders’ bolo tie to announce the new extended hours. The campaign’s visuals feature the tie in different positions to reflect the hands of a clock and show the exact time each KFC location is open until.
The brand is running billboards in major cities across the country, including Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Moncton, as well as ads on social media, in-store displays and OLV. Wavemaker is handling the media buy.
“To ensure our digital OOH and social media posts are as relevant as possible, we are customizing clock times to reflect the specific closing hours of each participating KFC Canada location, as their operating hours vary by restaurant,” KFC Canada brand manager Jordan Sequiera tells Media in Canada.
Sequiera says that by using the colonel’s tie, the team ensures a simple and attractive way to inform its customers about the updated operating hours, while reinforcing the brand’s identity. The brand is also paying homage to one of KFC’s most distinctive symbols, Sequiera says.
Beyond announcing the new hours, the initiative seeks to highlight KFC as not only a destination for lunch or dinner, but also as a place to satisfy late-night cravings, Sequiera adds. In the QSR industry, exploring new parts of the day is an important strategy for growth, he says. Extending their summer hours represents a strategic move to increase accessibility, making KFC’s offerings available to a broader audience of Canadians.
The initiative also coincides with the current brand positioning, based on the iconography of its heritage. However, it differs from previous campaigns and visual creatives as it is not a live-action project. “It’s a design system platform that lets us continually and effectively speak to KFC’s late-night approach all year round, no matter where you are in the country,” Sequiera says.
