- ‹ previous
- 300 of 1497
- next ›
KFC Now Filling Potholes...With Ads
In the latest sign that the economy is even more screwed than we thought: The city of Louisville, Kentucky has struck a deal allowing the fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken to fill in the city's potholes—in exchange for stamping the pavement as "Re-freshed by KFC."
KFC explains that the company's foray into highway repair is a tie-in to its new "fresh" campaign, which focuses on food quality. Well, nice to know that it isn't part of the "take advantage of the county's economic collapse" or "appropriation of municipal public works" campaigns. According to Ad Age:
"This program is a perfect example of that rare and optimal occurrence when a company can creatively market itself and help local governments and everyday Americans across the country," said Javier Benito, exec VP-marketing and food innovation at KFC. Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson noted in a statement that budgets are tight for cities across the country, and finding funding for road repairs is a dirty job. "It's great to have a concerned corporation like KFC create innovative private/public partnerships like this pothole refresh program."
Yea, because there's nothing creepy whatsoever about a fast food company, especially one accused of harming the Amazon rainforest, providing low wages, and being cruel to animals taking over city maintenance.
KFC is certainly no stranger to advertising that takes advantage of things that are objectively a little depressing; its Famous Bowls, for instance, seem rather obviously a product marketed to the lonely.
In addition to the Louisville project, KFC has invited US mayors to request help from the company. KFC plans to select more cities at random for pothole assistance.
Can Year of the Yushityu 2007 Mimetic-Resolution-Cartridge-View-Motherboard-Easy-To-Install-Upgrade For Infernatron/InterLace TP Systems For Home, Office, Or Mobile be far behind?
Hey, if the potholes aren't
Hey, if the potholes aren't going to get filled otherwise, why not?
Does anyone understand the
Does anyone understand the idea of the commons anymore? Apparently not based on these comments. If we allow corporations to put their logos on our city streets, what is next? We already have their logos just about everywhere else. The streets belong to the people, not to KFC. Would you like them to stamp their logo on your home, or your child's body?
The mayor did a radio
The mayor did a radio interview, and he stated that the spray paint KFC logos would likely wear off in a week or so. This seems like a good deal for the city. Advertising that doubles as public works feels win-win to me.
As far as taking over, the mayor said that this would fill in less than 10% of the potholes in Louisville.
KFC
Kudos for recognizing that KFC is cruel to animals!
For more info, visit KentuckyFriedCruelty.com.
Yum, potholes and KFC...
Yum, potholes and KFC... appetising. The words "fresh" and "KFC" in the same sentence also doesn't sound right. OK, regardless of who fills our potholes, the point is that they are being filled. Yes, it ought to be in the hands of the city, however at this point in time, public works could use the help as every department seems to have a huge hole in their pockets. Besides, if their logo is going to wash off in a week or so, does it really matter? Is it really going to make people buy their chicken? Let them spend the $$ fix our potholes - just don't eat their so-called food. I never eat there anyway.
"Is it really going to make
"Is it really going to make people buy their chicken?"
Oh great! The same tired old "advertising doesn't really work" canard! So, enlighten us--why are they paying for it, then? Advertising is a huge part of any major corporation's budget. Why pay for something that doesn't work?
"Advertising that doubles as public works feels win-win to me."
I'm already creeped out by all the street signs named after corporations. There's a Wal-Mart street or road or circle or whatever it is in Cordova, just outside of Memphis near I-40. There's a Nationwide Boulevard in Columbus, Ohio, and a Nationwide Children's Hospital, and by "nationwide" the hospital does not mean its service area. (They also claim Nationwide Insurance did not put them up to changing the name.) You know what? Buy an ad in the paper. If corporations want to contribute to "public works" then since they think they're legal persons anyway, LET THEM PAY TAXES LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HAS TO DO.
Pony up, KFC! If you paid your fair share there wouldn't be any potholes left to fill!
I want there to be more areas of public space where I don't have to be bombarded by advertising. I shouldn't have to hole myself up in a public park. I certainly should be able to look at the road pavement in front of me while I am driving and not see ads on it. The billboards are bad enough.
Oh, and does anyone else find it rich that KFC appoints Latino veeps when they can't see clear to paying Immokalee workers an adequate wage? What is that, some kind of sick consolation prize?
Pothole filler
tagged as:- solution
They could just fill the potholes with unsold chicken pieces
Another kudos for mentioning
Another kudos for mentioning the cruelty! I don't see a problem if it wears off after a while, but it's probably some lead-based paint that'll flake off and pollute the drinking water eventually, d'oh! :D
Come on! Someone has to pay
Come on! Someone has to pay for the roads to get done--who cares if it is a marketing gimmick? The real crime is that local governments are so cash strapped they have to accept the hand out, not that KFC has "the nerve" to help out with public works.
If you don't like their corporate policies then don't support their business. If the idea of KFC fixing your roads turns your stomach then find an alternate route.
No KFC filling potholes is not O.K.
It is, however, a symptom of how far we've shifted control, i.e. taxation, from civil government and the citizens to corporations.
Without any evidence from the above story, I'd hazard a guess that most, if not all, KFC property is in TIF'ed locations. By granting corporations artificially low property tax rates in the name of "development" the City of Louisville sold out its individual home owners. And most likely will never recoup the property taxes forgone in any TIF redevelopment agreement.
Most TIF schemes have a twenty year lifespan. And Corporations have the nasty habit of walking away from TIF'ed property. Unless the agreement's extended for another twenty years or so.
Another Hidden Cost
Another hidden cost is the poor health one gets from eating factory farmed foods sold by KFC and other fast junk food places.
The U.S. has a lower life expectancy than 44 other countries including Bosnia! The reason is we are poisoning ourselves (well, not me personally) with toxic crap that places like KFC like to incorrectly refer to as food.
Everyone has seen 'Super Size ME' and knows what they are doing to themselves, yet they continue to slowly commit suicide by toxic food.
Why is this? Because all of that toxic food contains chemicals like MSGs that cause people to become addicted to it.
It was not a mistake that cigarette companies diversified into convenience foods. They took their addictive technologies and applied them to toxic factory farmed junk food.
Now as our quality and length of life decrease, their profits increase.
Filling potholes is the perfect metaphor for the reality of the situation, which is factory farmed convenience foods and fast foods are putting Americans in an early grave.
Surely their "food" would be
Surely their "food" would be a perfect pothole filler? The only place it should be - how odd they did not notice this irony!!!
What happens if the work isn't up to standard...
IMHO KFC do not provide products fit for human consumption; therefore I'm not sure I'd trust them to repair a sidewalk very well.
If this idea takes off it's not hard to imagine that the roads near a KFC would be far more navigable than those near MD and BK...
The ads are in temporary
The ads are in temporary chalk so they'll wash off in the rain or get cleared by the traffic.
I wonder why an article, that would want to have credibility, would bother linking to a PETA group.