KFC has awarded its U.S. media business to Publicis Groupe’s Spark Foundry, ending its relationship with incumbent Wieden+Kennedy following a media review announced in September that resulted in several holding companies bidding for the account.
Spark Foundry will manage the brand’s advertising, media planning, and buying across all channels, including social media. According to Convergences, the brand spends $166 million on media in the United States, with digital accounting for $50 million of that total.
The review, announced in September and led by SRI Consulting, initially included the incumbent, Wieden+Kennedy, as well as Publicis’ Spark Foundry, IPG’s UM, and WPP’s Wavemaker. In November, W+K confirmed to Adweek that it was no longer involved in the review.
During the review, the Spark Foundry team provided “unique insights about our current and future audiences, as well as how KFC can better use its media to connect and engage with them,” said Nick Chavez, chief marketing officer of KFC U.S., in a statement. “The talented Spark Foundry team that will now guide our business and help unlock next-level growth for the KFC brand impressed us.”
Spark Foundry has won some of the industry’s most prestigious media reviews in the last year. Meta’s highly coveted business was won by the agency in December.
“We are ecstatic for the opportunity to bring our heat to KFC,” said Sarah Kramer, CEO of Spark Foundry. “We are excited to collaborate with KFC.”
Redesigning the brand
KFC began working with W+K in 2015, and later transferred its media account to the agency in 2018. With the help of W+K, KFC relaunched its brand, producing suggestive ads such as the branded film “A Recipe for Seduction,” starring Mario Lopez as Colonel Sanders.
That era has come to an end with the company’s partnership with Spark Foundry. According to a statement from KFC, the brand chose the Publicis agency for its data chops and deep connection to audiences, as well as its knowledge of the QSR category.
KFC intends to continue its rebranding efforts, having recently hired Chavez, a former Nintendo executive, as its CMO. Last year, the company’s same-store sales increased by 4% in the fiscal quarter ending September 30, and sales increased by 3%.
