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Former ad exec illustrates agency missteps with KFC in new book
October 18, 2009
Former advertising executive James P. Othmer describes how his then-agency lost the KFC account in his new book, "Ad Land: Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet" (Doubleday, hardcover, 336 pages), according to a story by The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky. He also provides insights and tips about branding and advertising.
Othmer was handed the KFC account in 2000 as his former firm Young & Rubicam was struggling to help revive the chain's ad push. He describes in the book how franchisees and executives shied away from his ideas for an "original, gutsy campaign." Another misstep included a pitch-woman referring to the brand's icon as captain rather than colonel.
From The Courier-Journal:
"I thought the franchisees were obsessed with showing the chicken and the price promotion. I thought it would have helped at a certain point to balance that with a message of what your brand stands for," he said.
Othmer says his book his less about dishing on KFC and more a call for introspection about advertising's moral and ethical choices.
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