You Can’t Be Serious!
To celebrate the 128th birthday of its founder Colonel Harland Sanders, KFC is giving a college donation to the first baby named Harland born on September 9, Sanders’ birthday. By the way, the name Harland is currently ranked 3,257 on the list of most common baby names for 2017. KFC is hoping to inspire the next generation of Harlands. Talk about a tall task.
Spiker Insights
This is the latest in a series of quirky marketing tactics KFC has embraced around its Colonel Sanders founder and spokesperson that have been resonating with chicken-eating consumers. Sure old-fashioned baby names are coming back into style from the Buffy and Bambi trend, but thinking Harland is the next trendy pick is indeed a stretch. And what a moniker to be stuck with for the rest of your life.
It remains to be seen if anyone actually names their baby Harland, or how the contest will be received. It will no doubt turn up some social media chatter, but will it drive people to KFC outlets to purchase all that finger-lickin’ good chicken and lumpy mash potatoes?