Success Stories

Name-dropping songs with KFC

KFC’s pop culture status is no drop in the bucket. In fact, to say the “KFC” name has been dropped in numerous songs over the years would be an understatement. But it’s tough to share those shout-outs with younger audiences in France that [tune out traditional advertising](/en-US/audience-targeting/).

The challenge

To have a shot with young listeners, KFC needed to reaffirm their own creds without saying it themselves.

The big idea

KFC launched Bucket Bangers, a playlist featuring the 46 best songs mentioning KFC on Spotify — a tribute to artists who dropped the brand in their lyrics and gave it a place in modern hip-hop culture.

The magic

Spotify playlists can shape culture — RapCaviar has a global audience of over 12 million. So yeah, we know a few influential fans. After launching, Bucket Bangers ranked in the best rap playlists on Spotify, speaking volumes about fans’ taste in music — and the legacy of KFC in hip-hop.

And since KFC has been in the rap game for 30 years, it was an original recipe for success served with some great sides: a large outdoor, street marketing, and digital effort using the 46 lyric lines as headlines that resulted in a D&AD Wooden Pencil Award.