Boldly going where no brand has gone before - KFC

Latest KFC logo, as seen from outer space

click to enlarge

"KFC's new look contemporises one of the most recognised and cherished brand icons in the world and spans all visual elements from logo to restaurant design, advertising, packaging, uniforms and more. The Colonel is truly a global icon and we want everyone in the universe to see KFC's new look of the future", says Graham Allan, president of KFC International.

The cosmic Colonel Sanders logo was built in Rachel, Nevada, dubbed the "UFO Capital of the World," on The World's Only Extraterrestrial Highway. Area 51 is considered top-secret and the epicenter of inter-galactic communication.

"In South Africa, our customers will be able to see these changes in our restaurants in the coming months as we roll out this re-imaging program. We've already started rolling out some exciting looking new KFC restaurants which will be appearing across the country shortly," adds Allan.

The new logo depicts Colonel Sanders with his signature string tie, but replaces his classic white, button-down suit with a red apron. The apron symbolises the home-style culinary heritage of the brand and reminds customers that KFC is always in the kitchen cooking delicious, high-quality, freshly prepared chicken by hand in the restaurants, just the way Colonel Sanders did fifty years ago.

"Whether it is Original Recipe or Zinger, consumers around the world can always expect a delicious and unique taste with our chicken. They know KFC food excites the senses and that life tastes better with KFC," says Allan. "This is why KFC is boldly going where no brand has gone before!"

The Colonel's top secret mission

• The massive logo, which is referred to as the "Face from Space" by the project team, is so large it that would take 265 Statues of Liberty to fill it.

• It took a team of nearly 50 designers, engineers, scientists (including astrophysicists), architects and other professionals working nearly three months to conceive, create and execute building what is reputed to be the world's largest logo.

• The "Face from Space" took more than 3000 hours to create from inception to launch and was built by Synergy, a leading event company.

• The logo consists of 65 000, one-foot by one-foot painted tile pieces that were assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle: 6000 red, 14 000 white, 12 000 eggshell, 5000 beige and 28 000 black.

• The logo took 24 days, working around-the-clock, to manufacture and ultimately produce. It then took six days on site to construct the logo, during which time the logo design pieces were kept hidden and under cover from identified and unidentified flying objects.

• Area 51's secretive nature and link to classified aircraft research and reports of unusual phenomena, have led it to become the centerpiece of modern UFO and conspiracy theory. Other key activities associated with Area 51 include rumors of meetings with extraterrestrials, the development of time travel technology and the storage, examination and reverse engineering of crashed alien spacecraft (including material supposedly recovered at Roswell, NM).

• Due to the unprecedented nature of the project, the team endured numerous twists and turns along the way including a freak torrential downpour that rendered the original site inaccessible. The first location was in the flatlands of Utah near the home of the very first KFC restaurant.

• A state-of-the-art GEO satellite captured the image of the logo as it circled the earth at an altitude of 300 miles. This is only the third time in more than 50 years that the logo has changed.

Restaurant of the future

After three years of testing different restaurant designs in South Africa, KFC is beginning to reveal its restaurant look of the future. KFC's new global image is in the process of rolling out in restaurants around the country and will be completed within the next five years.

The new design is intended to be refreshing, contemporary, highly-differentiated and help keep KFC relevant with customers by giving them a higher quality overall dining experience.

The new design is based on thoughtful strategic tenets which provide a strong brand image foundation, while being flexible for different international market needs. It aims to communicates a progressive and energetic spirit for KFC and prepares the brand for future global growth.