Note from the Editor (Eick): We’re excited to share with you the first post from our newest writer…Andy! 

This week the colonel delivered a TKO on a China based fried chicken chain.

KFC took the breading gloves off and unleashed its own brand of elevens herb and spices of justice on the Beijing based Obama Fried Chicken.

OFC has been using a cartoon caricature of  President Barack Obama sporting suspenders and a bow-tie, which blatantly riffs on the iconic Colonel Sanders image that has become a staple of KFC branding, and at this point, Americana.  Some say it has taken it one step further, noting that it perpetrates a dated racial stereotype.

kfc-menu

KFC Menu

They’re also using the tag line “We’re so cool aren’t we?”  Which some say can be perceived as a sarcastic political statement towards the U.S. considering the President is front and center on their signage.

Of course I could be reading far too much into the selling of hot wings and things.

A spokesman for KFC who are said to be very displeased with this restaurant chain issued this statement:

We’re considering legal action as it is a knock-off and has nothing to do with us and it infringes on our brand trademark…We find it distasteful.’

Based in Beijing, OFC is a three store chain which serves up Chicken, fries and burgers.  It was incorporated by a trio of college students as a venture to help support their families. When contacted regarding the copyright infringement one of the co-owners, who came up with the logo cried oblivious to anything being wrong with the much maligned branding.

When word came that they could be besieged by the best fried chicken copyright lawyers on Earth, the owners quickly began changing the signage to UFO instead of OFC. Perhaps the chances of being threatened with legal action from E.T. seems unlikely?

There was hope that this quick fix may be perceived as an extended olive branch. However, it seems they have missed the main contention that KFC has. That being  the copyright infringing picture of the President which currently remains as part of UFO’s look.

It would be worth noting that KFC China had previously used an Obama look-alike to sell the USA brand in a commercial that aired on Television. So KFC appears to have no issue with linking the President to selling more Double Downs, just don’t mess with their iconic Southern Gentleman’s cache.

Update (from Eick): The site is subscription only, but the latest snippet from Shanghai Daily reads:

“Obama Fried Chicken,” complete with a cartoon of a smiling US President Barack Obama as its logo, has been shut by its owners

Hmmm…..

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Andy

One Response

  1. Obbop

    KFC is over-priced, in my opinion.

    Food value for the money handed over in exchange is incredibly disgusting, again in my opinion, that I have not bought from KFC in any substantial measure for many years.

    In the past 10 or so years I have eaten lunch at their all-you-can-eat food bar when I was in the mood to stuff myself with sub-par-quality semi-food.

    Sadly, the food offered via that bar is poorly prepared, often having been sitting there for far too long and often with offerings missing and asking for more to be added is not an assurance that all for what the eater paid a high price for never being added.

    Good luck even if requesting that an empty receptacle intended to offer one of the limited chicken-types be filled.

    I do not intend to ever patronize KFC again… even if the all-you-can-eat desire enters my mind.

    If the economy remains bad or worsens (as I expect it will) KFC is doomed unless they make drastic price cuts.

    KFC and their lower-cost offerings convey more calories/vittles for the buck so will likely remain.

    Good riddance KFC.

    The Foster Farms chicken joint in California and many (far from all) grocery store deli offerings are far superior in many ways to that KFC sub-par stuff.

    I remain curious if KFC created a special chicken breed consisting of miniature cluckers… observe how small their typical chicken pieces are compared to most competitors.

    Reply

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