2025 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

The last time the Edmonton Oilers made it to the NHL Finals was way back in 1990. So to commemorate the occasion, official sponsor KFC wanted to make a splash. But then again, so did every other Canadian brand with a connection to hockey. In a sea of sponsors, the challenge was to stand out in a tangible way.

Hockey is a sport filled with superstitions, and fans, players, and teams will do crazy things to help
their team win.

With the Oilers playing for their first title since 1990, sponsor KFC turned back the clock with their own superstition - taking the brand back to the last Oilers’ win.

From throwing octopus on the ice to playoff beards, hockey is a sport steeped in rituals, routines, and superstitions. In fact, in the lead-up to the finals, all-star Edmonton Oiler and Canadian icon Connor McDavid had begun wearing the exact same suit to playoff games so long as his team kept winning. So rather than put out a conventional ‘proud sponsor’ message, KFC decided to get in on the fun and support their team the way a true hockey fanatic would.

The agency’s idea was to celebrate the moment by going back in time. As the 2024 Finals were heating up, KFC would turn back the clock with their own superstition — replaying all the same ads from the last time the Edmonton Oilers won it all back in 1990. The ads were identical to what was aired three decades prior.

In the lead-up to the Edmonton Oilers first home game of the series, KFC’s vintage ads began appearing in paid social posts, generating early buzz and engagement. The campaign then hit the mainstream later that day when the vintage ads aired during the broadcast of the game. The spots would continue to air in both social and during games on TV for the remainder of the series.

Beyond the TV spots, fans could get a taste of the ‘90s with throwback in-store posters, as well as vintage logos that sport the original, iconic look. Fans would also see digital OOH showcasing the classic 1990s bucket outside the Edmonton arena with messaging to cheer them on as they watched outside of Rogers Place.

To sweeten the deal even more, KFC brought back 90s pricing for a limited time with its 18-piece chicken for $18 bucket deal in Edmonton.

In sports, every team has a long list of sponsors fighting for attention. Most of those brands are focused on awareness. But KFC didn’t want to be just another logo on the boards; they wanted to create real value — sales. So, instead of the typical “Proud Sponsor” message, the agency needed to go deeper. Anchored in the insight — real fans believe superstitions win — they supported the team the way a true fanatic would.

KFC’s throwback campaign scored big with hockey fans and made them the most talked-about brand of the finals. In addition to garnering national news coverage and effusive social engagement, the campaign also sold a ton of fried chicken. In fact, during this campaign period, Alberta experienced its highest sales
month on record.

During the three-week period the campaign was in market sales and transactions went up in Edmonton by 7% and 2% respectively — both numbers significantly outpacing national growth metrics. And on game days when spots aired in-game, sales were through the roof. On the night of Game 6, sales grew 36% and transactions grew 19%. And on the night of Game #7, the Stanley Cup Final, sales grew 51% and transactions grew 31%.

By tapping into hockey culture in a way that was unmistakably KFC, the campaign proved that some superstitions really do work.

Credits

Agency: Courage
Partner + President: Niki Sahni
Founder + CCO: Dhaval Bhatt
Founder + CCO: Joel Holtby
Partner + CSO: Tom Kenny
Creative Director, Copywriter: Jesse Wilks
Creative Director, Art Director: Gerardo Agbuya
Group Account Director: Alex Karayannides
Account Director: Kyron Sobers
Account Supervisor: Nick Lepp
Account Executive: Zoe Fetsis
Executive Producer: Clair Galea
Senior Producer: Sarah Moen
Producer: Rachel D'Ercole
Senior Integrated Producer: Raquel Mullen
Integrated Producer: Tania Gaudio

Client: KFC
Chief Marketing Officer: Katherine Bond Debicki
Performance Marketing Director: Telly Carayannakis
Senior Manager, Media & Regional Marketing: Lauren Pottie
Performance Marketing Manager: Luke Melenberg

Offline: Outsider Editorial
Editor: John Gallagher
Executive Producers: Kayan Choi & Kristina Anzlinger
Editorial Assistants: Denisse Pressacco & Dana Ryan

Transfer, VFX & Online: Alter Ego
Executive Producer: Hilda Pereira
Colourist: Eric Whipp
Colour Assistant: Daniel Saavedra
Online Artist: Jake Hussey
Senior Producer: Andrew Tavares

Audio: Boombox
Partner & Creative Director: Roger Leavens
Creative Director: Chris Stiliadis
Casting Director: Kaliopi Kuzyk
Engineers: Kara MacKinlay
Partner & Executive Producer: Umber Hamid
Senior Producer: Spencer Houghton

Stills Production
Joe Calleja - Senior Production Designer
Simon Tuckett - Senior Retoucher