KFC's Drumstick Corsages Are the Latest Quirky, Millennial-Targeted Fast-Food Experiment In the ongoing battle to prove which fast-food chain 'gets' millennials the most, KFC is now selling corsages for prom
By Kate Taylor
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KFC hopes to inspire romance in the heart of high school students by selling a drumstick corsage just in time for prom.
So this happened yesterday.. Got a #promposal with a chicken wing! Best thing ever. Thanks @kfc ! #PutAWingOnIt pic.twitter.com/VJaBiMLJXv
— Laura Zembrodt (@LauraZembrodt) April 11, 2014
The 'KFC Chicken Corsage' is a combination of drumstick and baby's breath flowers, sold for $20 by Louisville, Ky.-based florist Nanz & Kraft. The chicken-chain's commercial promoting the corsage has been viewed over 250,000 time since it was uploaded last week.
Thank you @kfc for asking me to prom with a chicken corsage. #putawingonit pic.twitter.com/2ozjt2K0Fl
— Alyssa (@AlyssaEmelia) April 10, 2014
Related: Millennials Spend 18 Hours a Day Consuming Media -- And It's Mostly Content Created By Peers
KFC has also been promoting the prom-friendly stunt in venues geared toward high school students. The chain published a list of '12 Best Ways To Ask Someone To Prom' as a brand publisher on Buzzfeed, concluding with the chicken corsage. KFC also reached out to high school girls who expressed interest in the corsage on Twitter, asking at least three students to prom with a chicken corsage delivery.
@AlyssaEmelia @rawr_kayla Enough talk, let's make this official. DM us and #putawingonit
— KFC (@kfc) April 10, 2014
The chicken corsage is the latest of chain restaurants' attempts to tap into the millennial market through quirky marketing. Taco Bell's recent breakfast roll out was dominated by products that toe the line between fun and bizarre, such as burrito socks, 'Breakfast Phones' and even the social media-friendly Taco Waffle itself. Corporate Twitter accounts are increasingly adopting the snarky tones that would more commonly be seen on an individual's account, with hopes of better connecting with potential customers.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. pic.twitter.com/e0dFN1ZCqy
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) March 29, 2014
So, as weird as a chicken corsage seems, these curious instances of product placement are increasingly par for the course at fast food franchises. Who knows – as summer approaches, there may be burger bikinis and pizza graduation gowns on the horizon.