Fly me to the game with KFC and the Super Rugby

Hold onto your drumsticks because this Super Rugby season, KFC is taking fan loyalty to new heights – introducing Zing Air.

In celebration of KFC’s 12-year partnership with the five New Zealand Super Rugby Pacific teams (Blues, Hurricanes, Gallagher Chiefs, Highlanders and Crusaders), KFC has developed a flight plan to get Kiwis to the match faster than you can say “extra seasoning.”

It builds on last year’s campaign, The Gravy Train, which transported Aucklanders for free on a KFC-inspired train to Eden Park for the Blues vs. Force match.

This year, KFC’s first private airline service will deliver fans from around New Zealand straight from their hometown to a rugby match to support their favourite team – to enter the promotion, Kiwis can use the KFC App to add the Zing Air boarding pass to their cart.

It takes an agency village

The campaign has been ideated, executed and amplified through KFC’s Agency Village, including Special PR, Stanley St, PHD, Drum and Culture. 

Special PR led brand experience, media relations and influencer relations; Stanley St led the TV and out-of-home; PHD led media planning and strategy; Culture led the social content and Drum led in-stadium activation and rugby partnerships.

Five flights on offer

Five flights will depart from various cities throughout the season, with the first departing Auckland on Saturday, March 1, going directly to Sky Stadium in Wellington. There, passengers can watch the Blues take on the Hurricanes. 

Passengers can expect to fly on a private jet with a mate, accommodation for the night and primo seats at the game. And, of course, the Colonel’s chicken will be served as part of a pre-match meal. 

Clark Wilson, Restaurant Brands NZ Marketing Director, says, “We’ve completely reinvented the shape of our marketing campaign for rugby – we’ve put an activation at the heart of the creative and used that to drive headlines and engagement.”

He adds, “This has been a massive piece of work across our entire agency village, as well as countless internal teams and leaders.  We hope it will drive more interest and excitement for the rugby season amongst the broadest possible fan base.”

Carbon neutral

All Zing Air flights are carbon-neutral. KFC has engaged with a carbon offsetting scheme, EKOS, to offset 100% of the carbon emissions from flights via a native planting project, the Kern Creek Forest Conservation Project in Maruia. 

KFC Zing Air boarding passes are live on the app from today, Tuesday, 11 February.