FCK
The insight
The public forgives almost any cock-up, but punishes defensiveness. The corporate non-apology is the thing people actually hate.
The idea
Rearrange your own logo on an empty chicken bucket to spell FCK, then apologise plainly underneath.
The Stupid/Smart of it
Stupid: Handing every headline writer a free pun in the middle of a story already going badly for you.
Smart: Printing a swear made of your brand name during your worst week is insane, but only a company that truly accepts fault would make itself the punchline.
Why it works
It only works with three letters everyone can already read as a logo; the joke is unavailable to any brand without that equity.
A brand swearing at itself in print is a news story, so a two-title buy bought worldwide distribution.
The magic
That KFC actually ran it, during the crisis, in its own name. As a spec ad it is a student joke.
Act-poweredIt works because it genuinely happened. Nothing as fiction. Has to be seen to work.
The way in
The devices behind this one, from our library of ways in: