KFC and BK Both Made Amusingly Budget-Conscious Ads for Their Value Menus

Here’s one of those moments where two major brands have almost the exact same idea at the same time. 

Campaigns from KFC and Burger King, released within days of each other this month—in different markets—are both based around the same amusing idea: that value menus could use low-budget ads, so they can pass the savings on to you. 

First up we have KFC Russia, which has unveiled a campaign from Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam that was made almost like a kid’s craft project, with balloons, cardboard boxes, socks and markers. “I pinched pennies on production, to put even more value in my Value Menu!” says Col. Sanders. 

Check out the short-form spots here: 

The brand claims that the Colonel shot the films “on his very own smartphone, and even performed the background music himself.” 

Conceptually very similar to the KFC work is Burger King’s new campaign in Belgium, created by Buzzman. A series of digital ads look like Photoshop mockups, complete with a misspelling in the copy. “King deal menu for only €4/95, we worked hard on the price, nott [sic] on the ad,” the copy says. 

See two of the executions here: 

The BK gag extended to the press release, which also looks very phoned in, and describes the campaign as “rough and slapdash.” 

I’m guessing there aren’t any errors in the credits, though.

CREDITS

—KFC Russia
Chief Marketing Officer: Dmitriy Shirshov
Marketing Director: Daniel Rubinovski
Head of Marketing Communications: Tamara Mechtcheryakova
Creative Head: Tatyana Proshunina
Head of National Marketing : Evgeniya Markova

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam
Executive Creative Director: Eric Quennoy, Mark Bernath
Creative Director: Cal Al-Jorani, Thierry Albert
Art Director: Mariano Garcia Cruz 
Copywriter: Daria Ovechkina
Head of Broadcast Production: Joe Togneri
Broadcast Producer: Magda Czyz
Print Producer: Stacey Prudden 
Group Account Director: David Newsome
Account Director: Aimée Betancourt
Account Manager: Mariia Shatikhina
Head of Planning: Martin Weigel 
Strategic Director: : Thom Dinsdale, Reid Schilperoort
Head of Comms & Digital Strategy: Danielle Pak
Comms Planning Director: Wes Young
Project Manager: Katie Finn
Business Affairs: Fiona Fan
Production Company: Hype Production
Director: Evgeniya Onegina

—Burger King Belgium
CEO: Kevin Derycke
Marketing Director: Dirk Lammens
Brand Activation Manager: Vic Dresen
Junior Trade Marketing: Amandine De Maurissens

Agency: Buzzman
President and Executive Creative Director: Georges Mohammed-Chérif
Vice–President: Thomas Granger
Managing Director: Julien Levilain
Creative Directors: Louis Audard & Tristan Daltroff
Art Director: Margaux Hontang
Copywriter: Melvin Berrehouc
Account Director: Xavier Devaux-Landragin
Account Executive: Quentin Seguret
Head of PR & Communication: Amélie Juillet
PR & Communication Manager: Paul Renaudineau
Rights Management: Dee Perryman
Head of Production: Vanessa Barbel