Forget brand collabs, the big trend in branding in 2024 was offshoots. And they don't necessarily have to look anything like the core brand, as KFC has just demonstrated with the unveiling of Saucy.
The surprising new store concept in Orlando, Florida, is bold and pink and looks like it could be something more risque than a fast-food joint. The verdict's not yet in on whether it's finger lickin' good.
Saucy drops KFC's familiar red colour palette in favour of hot pink and abandons old Colonel Sanders for a bouncy curvaceous logotype designed to represent the unbridled fun and sensual fluidity inherent in sauce. Perhaps.
Are they actually going to serve any chicken with that sauce?, I hear you ask. Yes the will, in the form of chicken tenders. These will be available with a choice of 11 dips – a subtle reference to KFC’s 11 spices and herbs in its fried chicken, and one of the only nods to KFC that you'll find other than the 'by KFC' on the sign.
The sauces range from jalapeño pesto ranch and creole honey mustard to teriyaki and Thai sweet and spicy. The streamlined menu will also feature Hawaiian rolls and crinkle cut fries, sandwiches, other sides and desserts.
The pink and red interior has digital kiosks for ordering and a space for live entertainment. There's also a drive-thru, and we're told there will be some AI-driven tech involved (we'll see if they manage to avoid the McDonald's AI Drive-Thru debacle).
The experiment can seen as an attempt to test new ideas as KFC looks for way to appeal to Gen-Z diners amid falling sales and competition from hipper brands like Wingstop, Raising Cane’s Tenders or Chicken Guy.
It's a trend we've seen across the fast-food sector. Taco Bell launched its Live Más Cafe near San Diego this month and McDonald's is expanding its CosMc’s offshoot. It doesn't always work though. IHOP abandoned its fast-casual brand Flip'd last year.
It's interesting that Yum, KFC's owner, felt the need to make Saucy look so different from KFC but added the 'by KFC'. McDonald's took a similar approach with CosMc's. It's like they wanted to minimise the association with the legacy brand but then worried that nobody would care or bother trying it unless it had the backing of a known name.
It makes sense for struggling brands to try new things. Fashions change and certain concepts have a limited shelf life. But judging by the reaction on social media, some people think KFC would do better to focus on improving its core brand. It's too early to say for sure, for it's hard to imagine Saucy becoming as iconic as KFC used to be.
The first (and possibly last) Saucy will open on Monday at 502 S Alafaya Trail, Orlando. KFC says it may expand the concept if it goes well.
For more branding news, don't miss Kellogg's enormous 3D roosterand the radical new Sandisk logo. There's also been much debate about the 2025 Eurovision logo.
