American fast food chains and Asian countries have a long, bizarre history together. It seems simply making terrible (yet cheap and delicious) food isn't enough to be successful across the sea. In eastern markets, fast food chains rely on the strange and weird to get attention and bring people through their doors.
That all being said, it doesn't get much stranger than KFC's latest marketing scheme in Hong Kong: fried chicken-flavored nail polish.
Yes, KFC is the undisputed champion of "out there" in countries like China and Japan, but this latest endeavor takes the cake. A KFC press release (via Racked) says the nail polish was designed to appeal to "young consumers" who love "food and fashion."
This is certainly one way to do that. After all, nothing says young people, food and fashion like fingers that taste like greasy, unhealthy chicken. That's what all the kids are into!
It all ties in with the chain's slogan of "Finger Lickin' Good." In this case, KFC is taking its tagline very, very literally.
"Simply apply and dry like regular nail polish and then lick — again and again and again to taste why the world's favorite chicken is Finger Lickin' Good," says KFC.
Even better, the nail polish comes in two flavors: Hot & Spicy and Original Recipe. That way, you can have one flavor on one hand and one on the other. It's kind of brilliant, if you think about it (don't actually think about it). Adweek reports that the fast food chain is asking fans in Hong Kong which flavor should go into mass production. Is neither a choice?
This is far from the first time KFC has gone off the deep end. In Japan, KFC gave away fried chicken phone cases and keyboards (because why not), while in America, Colonel Sanders got his own limited edition comic book that was given away at San Diego Comic-Con. The Colonel is also known for loving cosplay in the land of the rising sun, and is regularly seen sporting a variety of ... interesting outfits.
Just remember, if you see a weird story about KFC come across your news feed, it's not an April Fool's Joke. It's very, very real.
