KFC Wants to Fix Potholes

Many cities around the world have some very tight budgets when it comes to road repairs. One of the bigger problems facing cities roads are of course, potholes. When you think of potholes, the last element to pop in your head would probably, and hopefully be, fast food. Kentucky Fried Chicken sent a letter to mayors of certain cities in the US with the intention of fixing pothole problems. Fixing potholes in a city is a multi-million dollar project. Some of the roads have so many potholes, that filling them will not solve the issue; the roads have to ripped apart, and rebuilt from scratch.

So why does KFC want to fix potholes? The catch: KFC wants to print their logo on the potholes saying “Refreshed by KFC”. This strategy is supposed to coincide with their “Fresh Tastes Best” campaign. At first, this may seems like a good idea, or bad idea. Black and White. As a discussion about this story progresses, some shades of grey start to appear. What material are they going to use? What happens when the paint starts to fade away? How large will the logos be? How long will the campaign last? These are some of the very common questions that are in the process of being answered right now.

Chicago is one of the cities that have been contacted in effort to move this campaign forward. As expected, the people are split. some think that this is form of “selling out” to corporate sponsors and can open up a can of worms in the future. Others believe that this a great opportunity for the city considering the tough economic times. Brian Steele, the spokesperson for Chicago’s Department of Transportation said in a statement “we don’t allow any type of printing or advertising placed on a city street or sidewalk”.

This is one of the many efforts from major companies in order to improve their social image. So where does this leave us? Will other major companies follow this? For now, who knows.

Follow the story here.