KFC Uses Snapchat to Give Away Promotional Colonel Sanders Pool Floats

By Tom Higgins

Have you ever been to KFC and thought, “You know what would be a great way to eat this massive bucket of fried chicken? Ah, yes, on a Colonel Sanders-shaped float in the middle of a sunlit lake!”

OK, so you’ve almost certainly never had that thought. If you have, then you’re either the marketing guru behind KFC’s latest promotional product stunt, or the exact person they had in mind when proposing the promotion in the first place.

Through June 22, fans of the fried chicken brand can enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a Colonel Sanders floatie by visiting KFCfloatie.com, of course. If you're confused as to why anyone would want a branded KFC floatie, well then you should be aware that said floatie is designed in the likeness of the Colonel himself, in all his white-suited glory, and comes with built-in holders for a bucket of chicken and beverages.

https://twitter.com/kfc/status/989957099412078592

https://twitter.com/kfc/status/999315722525278208

But wait, there’s more. KFC has also launched a Snapchat lens for the promotion that brings Colonel Sanders to life via an augmented reality (AR) experience, providing users a chance to win a floatie directly through Snapchat.

Not only does this further the burgeoning tradition amongst fast food brands that dominate when it comes to weird and wacky merchandise and apparel, it also further demonstrates the viability of Snapchat as an e-commerce platform through its user-friendly interface and reliable integration of AR technology through QR codes and interactive lenses.

If this floatie promotion—floatmotion, if you will—manages to live up to the hype, it will only further the truth behind our observation that KFC has found a winning formula with its marketing of late. Oh, and unlike its famously secret fried chicken formula, this one is open for others to study and adjust to meet their own specific needs. So, just remember, promotions can greatly benefit from a mix of merchandise and modern technology. In this case, having an iconic spokes-colonel doesn’t hurt either.