There’s watching the game and then there’s “couchgating,” the act of enjoying a big time sporting event from the comfort of your couch. KFC, Official Sponsor of Couchgating™, understands that the latter hinges on a few key factors – a comfy sofa, a group of friends, and most importantly, the right game-day food. With that in mind, KFC is introducing the Gameday Bucket: 8 pieces of chicken, 8 Hot Wings and 10 Original Recipe Bites, sure to be the MVP of any game watching party.
MEC handles the Media Planning and Buying for KFC. Juan Colon, MEC Partner, Sr. Communications Strategy Director, tells RBR-TVBR: “Our approach was to link the right message, with the right consumer mindset, at the right part of the week. The Gameday Box message is targeted to people looking for individual meals during the week, while the Gameday Bucket message is aimed at those who might be planning a “Couchgate” with friends and family on the weekends. The buy includes a mix of live sports programming (NBA and NFL) as well as other high profile viewing occasions that people might “Couchgate” for (Primetime/Cable premiers, etc).”
The creative and execution was definitely not your average spots & dots foray:
According to ThePostGame.com, over 50 million consumers are watching at home instead of going to games. As the Official Sponsor of Couchgating, KFC will coach these game watchers on how to become the ultimate “couchgaters” through a dedicated section on its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/KFC) and a partnership with ThePostGame.com, the official digital magazine for Yahoo! Sports, to create custom content.
Armchair quarterbacks and power forwards are encouraged to join the conversation through the hashtag #couchgating. The best Tweets or Facebook posts will be featured in the “Excellence in Couchgating” section. KFC will award “couchgating” gear such as t-shirts, foam fingers and KFC gift checks weekly, and two lucky winners will win the ultimate makeover that will turn a living room into “couchgating central,” including a couch and loveseat, HDTV, recliner, tables, mini-fridge, KFC Gameday Buckets and more.
Recognizing that a proper “couchgating” configuration – in combination with the Gameday Bucket – is a key factor in the success of a “couchgate,” KFC kicked off the season with surprise deliveries to students at three universities. By responding to unbranded, classified ads, a student at Xavier University and a student at Indiana University each received a brand new couch and KFC Chicken Checks from KFC. In addition, in answer to a response to the ad from a member of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity at the University of Kentucky, KFC rewarded the house with a complete overhaul of their TV room.
To reach “couchgaters” nationwide, KFC has teamed up with ThePostGame.com for a “Masters of Couchgating” video and editorial program. The custom content, which will launch on 1/7, will provide a first look at some of the best tips for pulling off the perfect “couchgate.”
“Masters of Couchgating” video series features one-on-one interviews with athletes and celebrities about their “couchgating” experiences. Editorial will also feature “couchgate”-themed articles such as “The Dos and Don’ts of Couchgating” and “The Ultimate Celebrity Mancaves.”
