KFC’s Original Recipe is one of the most imitated in the world. On YouTube alone, there are over 516,000 videos claiming to teach viewers how to replicate Colonel Sanders’ secret blend of herbs and spices. Instead of fighting the copycats, KFC Spain embraced them. With “KFCopypaste,” the brand invited fans to paste links to these recipe videos into a special website—transforming imitation into redemption codes for real KFC chicken.
Campaign Overview
Developed by PS21 Madrid, “KFCopypaste” launched in 2021. The campaign created a website tool where users could paste YouTube links of KFC copycat recipes. Each link was converted into a redeemable coupon for real KFC chicken at participating restaurants.
The activation was supported by:
Social media buzz encouraging fans to search for recipes.
PR coverage highlighting the cheeky twist on brand protection.
Digital amplification across foodie communities and YouTube.
Campaign Objective
KFC aimed to:
Drive trial and penetration of its Original Recipe chicken in Spain, where brand awareness lagged behind competitors.
Leverage the massive online conversation around copycat recipes.
Reinforce its brand identity as playful, confident, and authentic.
Turn user curiosity into store traffic.
The goal was to make imitation the gateway to authenticity.
Execution
Link Converter Website: Fans pasted YouTube recipe URLs into KFC’s site.
Automatic Coupon Generation: Each valid link turned into a code redeemable for chicken.
Limited Redemptions: Each recipe link had a capped number of coupons, encouraging fans to hunt for more.
Social Media Push: KFC promoted the stunt with playful posts celebrating copycats.
Brand Impact
Positioned KFC as confident and witty, embracing imitation instead of fighting it.
Elevated the Original Recipe from product to cultural icon.
Strengthened consumer trust by offering authenticity as reward.
Results
KFCopypaste sparked nationwide excitement in Spain, driving thousands of coupon redemptions as fans raced to decode and claim the secret recipe. The campaign triggered massive social engagement, with users sharing their “recipe hunts” and spreading the challenge organically. Within the first 24 hours alone, over 14,000 recipe videos were claimed, ultimately generating 1.2 million views and more than 13 million impressions. The impact extended beyond social buzz — searches for “KFC recipe video” surged by +1100%, proving the cultural penetration of the idea.
The campaign didn’t just entertain; it moved business. KFC saw a +40% jump in website traffic, +62% increase in new user visits, and a significant boost in trial of their core product, the Original Recipe chicken tenders. The strategic use of data and playful creativity earned recognition at The One Show in Creative Use of Data, solidifying KFCopypaste as one of Spain’s most effective and inventive campaigns of the year.
Lessons Learned
“KFCopypaste” teaches us that competition can be collaboration. By embracing copycats, KFC turned imitation into advocacy. It proves that confidence in your product allows playful disruption.
