Brazilian designer Paula Rupolo recently performed 'The Brand Colour Swap', questioning the extent to which colour defines an image. And now, on the other side of the Earth, KFC in Australia is dabbling in a similar exercise as it prepares to abandon its iconic red and white branding in exchange for Australia's national colours: green and gold.
With England and Australia launching into the 2013-14 Ashes season this week, KFC are paying homage to the infamous inter-country rivalry - particularly as their original red and white happens to match the English kit.Ogilvy Sydney are the agency behind the campaign with media booked through MediaCom, allowing KFC to align itself with the sporting event by transforming flagship branches into green and gold, including Sydney Airport KFC. A temporary KFC outlet - the Green and Gold SkyBox - will also be opening at Sydney Cricket Ground to overlook the Test Match. This distinctive SkyBox will become airbound during the Sydney Test Match, elevating guests above the grounds on 20 occasions over the first 2 days for 23 minutes each time.
The outdoor advertising activity is being complemented by a series of 8 TV spots on Australia's Channels 9 and 10, with further engagement facilitated through experiential PR, media partnerships and a social media #bucketheads campaign that encourages the public to submit photos of themselves wearing Green & Gold KFC buckets.
Valerie Kubizniak, KFC acting chief marketing officer, said: "The Ashes ignites a fierce rivalry between England and Australia. We have thousands of Barmy Army fans descending on our shores for the second time this year, and as a proud and long-standing partner of Australian cricket we wanted to create a campaign that would ignite national pride and celebrate this great occasion."
CEO of Cricket Australia, James Sutherland, said: "We're thrilled to have KFC continue its partnership with Cricket Australia this season and we're excited to see the launch of its Green & Gold campaign, which will no doubt further stimulate an energetic rivalry between Aussies and the Barmy Army, as well as encourage fan engagement crucial to cricket's future success in Australia."
