# Competitive Matchstick Marketing The KFC Stories Campaign Compares Fiery Fables By Amelia Roblin | Published 2011-08-30 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfc-stories-campaign References: [adsoftheworld](http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/kfc_stories) & [mccannworldgroup](http://www.mccannworldgroup.com/) Just like men comparing conquests in the locker room (I can only assume), this [KFC](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/believe-campaign) Stories campaign depicts a group of burnt matches sharing tales of fiery affairs. Fire starters don't have mouths of course, so their accounts are illustrated as cartoon images in speech bubbles above their scorched potassium chlorate heads. One charred matchstick tells of a forest fire, another steps in to address a city enveloped in flames, while the third decrepitly describes a single serving of extra hot wings from [Kentucky Fried Chicken](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kentucky-fried-chicken-rain). The creative team at the [McCann Erickson](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lotto-maxxing) advertising agency of Malaysia, rendered each of these personified wooden figures with different degrees of combustion damage, suggesting throughout the KFC Stories campaign that the spicy chicken wings are hotter than the rest. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.0/10 - Popularity: 50% | Activity: 61% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Print](https://www.trendhunter.com/print) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Illustrated Campaigns:** Marketers can explore opportunities for visual storytelling and animated characters to convey brand messages and campaigns. - **Comparative Branding:** Brands can consider showcasing their product features by comparing them with similar products in the market, to help consumers make educated choices. - **Personified Products:** Marketers can give human-like personalities to their products to make them stand out in a crowded market and create a strong brand image. ### Where This Applies - **Advertising:** Advertising agencies can help brands create effective campaigns that resonate with consumers and create brand awareness. - **Fast Food:** Fast food chains can explore creative ways to showcase their products and create a unique identity in a highly competitive market. - **Marketing:** Marketing teams can experiment with innovative approaches to promote a brand's products or services through unique campaigns and creative visuals. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Unusual Fast Food Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/believe-campaign.md) - [Chicken-Centered Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/believe-in-chicken.md) - [Flame-Grilled Billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flame-grilled-billboard.md) - [Comical Love-Inspired Food Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/burger-king-loveinspired-ads.md) - [Chicken Wing QSR Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-australia-1.md) - [Critical Spicy Snack Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flamin-hot-campaign.md) - [Adventurous Restaurant Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wings-to-korea.md) - [First-Taste Burger Boxes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcspicy-x-franks-redhot.md) - [QSR X-Ray Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfc-spain-1.md)