In recent years, BBH London has focused on family relationships and offbeat stories in its KFC ads, with the product almost as a side dish and strong storytelling as the main course.
That trend continues in "Fans," a new 90-second spot in which we meet two young boys in Scotland who root for opposing soccer teams. (OK, football teams.) One is a fan of Stirling Albion. The other likes Dunfermline. It's a conflict on par with Scottish succession.
On this particular Saturday, the teams are playing each other, and the kids head to the game—one accompanied by his dad, the other by his mom. It can only end one way, with surprising emotional ramifications for both children.
The commercial is expertly shot by Full Monty director Peter Cattaneo. It has a documentary/indie-film vibe, owing to location filming and the fact that the two boys were "street cast" from local football academies.
The central conflict is the kind of silly yet semi-serious problem lots of parents can relate to. And the twist ending doesn't feel like too much of a stretch. (Indeed, BBH often handles such tricky reveals quite skillfully.)
On the downside, a couple of wee lads are going to have tummy aches tonight.
CREDITS
Client: KFC
Marketing Director: Meghan Farren
Marketing Manager: Jeff Singer
Senior Brand Manager: Maria Dogin
Agency: BBH, London
Creative Director: Hamish Pinnell
Strategist: John Jones
Strategy Director: Debra Ladd
Business Lead: Sian Cook
Team Manager: Helen Campbell-Borton
Team Director: Leo Sloley
Producer: Jodie Sibson
Assistant Producer: David Lynch
Production Company: Academy Films
Director: Peter Cattaneo
Producer: Juliette Harris
Director of Photography: Florian Hoffmeister
Postproduction: The Mill
Editing: Nik Hindson, The Assembly Rooms
Sound: Dan Beckwith, Factory