The bucket is back! American icon returns to KFC; new KFC bucket — better than you remember

Business Wire, June 20, 1996

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 20, 1996--Kentucky Fried Chicken Corp. (KFC) is bringing back the bucket -- the perfect chicken package that stands for KFC in many consumers' minds.

Absent from most of the 2,000 company restaurants over the past few years, the bucket will be back in all KFC restaurants in the United States on Monday, June 24 -- even better than ever.

No other national fast-food chain has as venerable a package as the unique KFC bucket, which was created 39 years ago. The 1996 version of KFC's traditional package is better than ever because you can now "Mix Your Chicken Choices" -- filling the bucket with pieces of fried and roasted chicken.

"We took the bucket out of the majority of our company restaurants to save a little money," said KFC President and CEO David Novak. "We didn't think customers would notice, but they did. So, starting Monday, we're bringing back the bucket."

The company estimates sales of nearly 30 million buckets over the next year (for both company and franchise restaurants) -- more than tripling bucket sales over last year. "We'll be investing about $2 million to put the bucket back in our restaurants," added Novak. "But when customers realize they can once again get the perfect take-home chicken package, it will be more than worth the expense."

The first bucket ad, which premieres Monday, June 24, features the morphing of the Colonel's first bucket (one of the actual buckets) into today's KFC bucket -- featuring KFC's familiar red-and-white stripes along with new `90s-style graphics.

The second ad, which starts on the Fourth of July and runs through the end of the month, is titled "Piecemaker." This ad shows a dad delivering family dinnertime peace with pieces of Original Recipe(R), Extra Tasty Crispy(TM) and new Tender Roast(TM) chicken pieces in "Mix Your Chicken Choices" buckets.

A 1988 graphics and symbols study by Arizona State University and Advertising Age revealed that the Colonel's mug (or face) and the KFC bucket were two of the three most-recognized symbols in the United States. The study, designed to measure consumer retention of and reaction to corporate symbols, product trademarks, brand logos and basic package designs, found that 91 percent of respondents recognized the Colonel's face, and 88 percent recognized the KFC bucket. Only the Greyhound scored higher in familiarity (with 95 percent).

Kentucky Fried Chicken Corp. (KFC), based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain specializing in both fried and roasted chicken pieces and homestyle sides. Since its founding by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, KFC has been "America's Leading Kitchen for Convenient Meals," serving customers delicious, already-prepared complete family meals at affordable prices. There are nearly 9,700 KFC outlets in 71 countries around the world serving more than six and a half million customers each day. In 1996, KFC celebrates 10 years as a subsidiary of PepsiCo, Inc., Purchase, N.Y. (PEP).

CONTACT: Kentucky Fried Chicken Corp., Louisville

Laura Melillo, 502/456-8042 or

Jean Litterst, 502/456-8366