The Colonel Hacker Takes Over KFC's Menu

KFC is hacking the QSR game with the launch of ‘The Colonel’s Hacks’ - its biggest value campaign to date.

The latest campaign brings a mischievous twist to value marketing, serving up deals, drops and surprises that reward KFC fans across the country.

Fronted by The Colonel Hacker, a mysterious character disguised as the iconic man himself, his ‘hacks’ initiatives will be rolling out in stores nationwide from 14th October to 1st December.

The first initiative will see The Colonel Hacker deliver KFC’s biggest burger ever: The Big Hack. Featuring two stacked Zinger Burgers for only $9.99, it offers double the zing without the financial sting. Available only from Tuesday, 14th of October to Wednesday, 15th of October.

The campaign is all about going big and bringing Kiwis the best value deals, in an unmissable integrated campaign led by KFC’s agency village: Special PR, Stanley Street, Special New Zealand, PHD and Thompson Spencer.

Special PR led on creative ideation, brand experience, media relations and earned advocacy.

Stanley St led the campaign across AV, Out of Home, and Social, with support from Special New Zealand (OOH and AV) and Thompson Spencer (Social). Together, they delivered a nationwide takeover that made The Colonel Hacker’s message impossible to miss.

PHD led media planning and strategy, including commandeering New Zealand’s biggest news providers through paid media to interrupt regular broadcasting with a message from The Colonel Hacker, alongside a whole host of other interception tactics.

KFC’s marketing director Leanne Too said, “We’ve never clowned around when it comes to delivering Kiwis great taste and value. This campaign is all about demonstrating just how far KFC will go for our customers. From the launch of our biggest burger ever, the Big Hack Burger, to $2 Wicked Wing Wednesdays, we’ve made sure to introduce a series of value deals that we know Kiwis will support and love.”

Kelly Grindle, managing director of Special PR, commented, “The concept of using The Colonel Hacker to ‘hack’ value is disruptive and distinctive - and we’ve worked as a full agency village to ensure the core idea can stretch through every touchpoint. The ambition of this campaign is why we love working with KFC; they’re relentless in their pursuit to deliver great value and are willing to be bold in the execution.”

Managing partner of Stanley St, Elle Lee, said, “When The Colonel Hacker hits the streets, he does it big. The idea set the tone, and our job was to bring it to life across every channel with impact and consistency. From how he looked, moved and showed up in the world, to the creative details that tied it all together - every execution played a part in his master plan. We’re thrilled with how it all came to life”.

Philippa Allnutt, creative integration lead at PHD, added, “Our media strategy is all about controlled chaos, orchestrating strategic interruptions across a range of platforms, from primetime TV to unexpected online intercepts to drive great results for KFC.”

The Colonel Hacker has officially breached New Zealand’s appetite for value, and he’s not logging off anytime soon.