It’s Finger Lickin’ KD… Beloved Comfort Food Brands KD and KFC Join Forces in New, Boldly Delicious Collaboration
The brands combine their classic flavours to serve up three crave-worthy, limited-edition offerings exclusively in Canada
TORONTO, August 19, 2024 – Canada’s favourite comfort foods just got even more crave-worthy. Today, the KD and KFC brands join forces to unveil three limited-edition offerings across grocery retailers and KFC restaurants nationwide. Introducing: KD KFC Original Recipe Flavour Mac ‘n Cheese, now available on grocery shelves, and the KD Mac & Cheese Chicken Sandwich and the KD Mac & Cheese Snacker Wrap, both of which are available in all KFC Canada restaurants. The Canada-exclusive collaboration marks the first time either has collaborated with another brand to launch limited-edition retail offerings and in-restaurant menu items together at the same time.
Many Canadians are hungry for more intense flavour profiles and unexpected food combinations.1,2 However, they prefer to try them with familiar foods from brands they know and trust.3 To answer on this growing desire, the collaboration between two iconic comfort food brands combines KFC’s culinary heritage of southern-style fried chicken with KD’s expertise in mac & cheese. Together, the brands are bringing fans bold new ways to enjoy unexpected yet delicious combinations of two Canadian classics.
“KD fans have always personalized their mac & cheese with their favourite flavours, and we’re excited to take that to a whole new level by partnering with KFC, another iconic comfort food brand,” says Brian Neumann, Head of Brand Communications, Kraft Heinz Canada. “Just like when you think of mac n cheese you think of KD, fried chicken is synonymous with KFC. These drops will be the first time these two iconic flavours are coming together and the result is incredible. We can’t wait for our fans to try it.”
“Our partnership with KD is KFC Canada’s largest brand partnership to date and the first to feature an exclusive menu launch with a grocery offering,” said Katherine Bond-Debicki, Chief Marketing Officer at KFC Canada. “By partnering with Canada’s favourite Mac ‘n Cheese, we’re excited to offer fans a bold flavour combination that is a must-try. Two iconic brands, known for delivering crave-worthy comfort, coming together to bring you an epic collaboration you never knew you needed.”
Each new offering packs a punch of delicious flavour:
- KD KFC Original Recipe Flavour Mac ‘n Cheese: Now Canadians can season their KD with the Colonel’s secret blend of eleven herbs and spices.
- KD Mac & Cheese Chicken Sandwich: Tops KFC’s signature triple-breaded, classically seasoned chicken with creamy original flavour KD to deliver the ultimate cheesy experience.
- KD Mac & Cheese Snacker Wrap: Features KFC’s beloved crispy chicken tenders alongside original flavour KD, wrapped up in a warm and fluffy flour tortilla.
To introduce the world to the tasty partnership, KD and KFC created the “It’s Finger Lickin’ KD”
campaign, which brings together the best of both brands, swapping its most iconic elements in a bold and authentic way. To stoke Canadians’ curiosity ahead of the launch, Colonel Sanders popped up around Toronto this past weekend, donning a new take on his classic suit that subtly nodded to the partnership with KD. He took a stroll through Canada’s most iconic food show–the Canadian National Exhibition–and bought out all the KD from several local grocery stores, interacting with fans and teasing the collaboration.
To learn more about the collaboration, follow along on both brands’ Instagram pages @KraftDinnerca and @kfc_canada, and those who try out any of the delicious new items are encouraged to share their meals on social media using #FingerLickinKD.
1How to create menus that attract Gen Z customers, Restaurant Dive, October 2023
2Kerry’s 2024 taste charts uncover new flavour fusions, Food in Canada, January 2024
3Kraft Heinz Foresights & Trends Exploratory Research 2023
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ABOUT KRAFT HEINZ CANADA
Kraft Heinz Canada’s heritage can be traced back over a century to when James Lewis Kraft of Stevensville, Ontario began selling cheese from a horse-drawn wagon in 1903. Heinz Canada was established in 1909 in Leamington, Ontario where its first products were pickles sourced from local growers. Following the 2015 merger between Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz Company, Kraft Heinz Canada became a subsidiary of the newly formed Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC). Now the country’s second largest food and beverage company, iconic Kraft Heinz Canada products like Kraft Peanut Butter, Heinz Ketchup, KD, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Renées Dressing, Jell-O, Classico, Kool-Aid and Maxwell House are found in over 97 per cent of Canadian households.
Kraft Heinz Canada is driving transformation inspired by Kraft Heinz’s global purpose, Let’s Make Life Delicious, by creating memorable community moments through local initiatives such as Kraft Heinz Project Play and Kraft Hockeyville, while also supporting food banks across Canada through Kraft Heinz Project Pantry. Learn more about our journey by visiting kraftheinzcompany.com or following us on LinkedIn.
ABOUT KFC CANADA
Founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, KFC is now the world’s most popular chain of chicken restaurants. To this day the Colonel’s own blend of 11 herbs and spices is still used to season our Original Recipe® chicken and it still remains a very closely guarded secret. KFC’s specialty is our famous Original Recipe® chicken, but we also feature a variety of freshly prepared sandwiches and wraps, on the go snack items, home-style sides, desserts and beverages. Today KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of YUM! Brands Inc. and operates more than 23,000 restaurants in more than 140 countries and territories around the world including more than 600 locations right here in Canada. To learn more about KFC Canada, visit our website www.kfc.ca.
Media Contacts
The Kraft Heinz Company/KD
Alexandra Lieberman
alexandra.lieberman@kraftheinz.com
KFC Canada
Jordan Sequeira
Zeno Group Canada
Miranda Hill
Source: westerngrocer.com