Wings of Desire - © 2017 KFC

Fast Food Week: Industry News Roundup

Here we are again! Saturday, and time for our roundup of the week’s Fast Food Sector news. We’ve got Starbucks and Burger King news from the courts beat, and some really different Mother’s Day promotions from KFC and Kraft Dinner. There’s still time to get their free goodies before Mom’s Day!

KFC goes ‘adult’ for Mother’s Day…

Starbucks being sued over its Unicorn Frappuccino

Starbucks has been selling something it calls a Unicorn Frappuccino for the past couple of weeks. It’s a cold beverage concoction that puts pastel pink and blue swirls into a white base. It reminds me more of My Little Pony than a Unicorn, but they didn’t ask me before going ahead with it. Neither did they ask a mall Brooklyn, NY, cafe called The End, which has a patent pending on  something it calls a Unicorn Latté. Naturally, The End is suing Starbucks. No word on how much they’re asking in damages. Starbucks is fighting back harshly, like all big corporations do when they are challenged by a powerless little guy. The Starbucks beverage was sold for only a limited time last month and is no longer being offered.

Burger King being sued over ‘deceptive’ Croissan’wich deal

Koleta Anderson of Maryland recently discovered that a BOGO deal is not always ‘buy one, get one free’. She says she used BK’s BOGO coupon at multiple BK locations and discovered that she had to pay more for two sandwiches with the coupon than she did for one without the ‘deal’.

Her statement of claim says:

“The terms of Burger King’s buy-one-get-one-free (“BOGO”) deal are well known to American consumers: buy one product at its standard price, and receive a second for free. ButBurger King’s BOGO promotion works a little differently. When a consumer uses Burger King’sBOGO coupon, they are unknowingly forced to pay an inflated price for the first Croissan’wich they purchase in order to receive the second Croissan’wich for “free.” In other words, without any notice, Burger King charges a higher price for a Croissan’wich if a consumer presents a BOGO coupon at purchase.”
No comment from BK. But if you eat at BK in Maryland, DC or Virginia, you may have a piece of the action in this class action…

McDonald’s reinvents the fork?

Not quite. And its new evolved(?) eating utensil doesn’t seem to make eatin g any nasirt or more pleasurable. The FRORK is supposed to be a specialized ‘French Fry Fork’ and McD’s admits its ‘essentially superfluous’. Nevertheless, you an get one, while supplies last, when you buy one of the new Signature Crafted Burgers at McD’s now through May 8.

It’s the latest in what threatens to become a whole cavalcade of gadgets, the first of which was the infamous S.T.R.A.W., released on the same basis back in February..

KFC going too far with ‘NEW’ Mother’s Day promo??

KFC is launching a new romance novel: Tender Wings of Desire, a free Kindle download from Amazon. The Amazon blurb for the book goes like this:

“When Lady Madeline Parker runs away from Parker Manor and a loveless betrothal, she finally feels like she is in control of her life. But what happens when she realizes she can’t control how she feels? When she finds herself swept into the arms of Harland, a handsome sailor with a mysterious past, Madeline realizes she must choose between a life of order and a man of passion. Can love overcome lies? What happens in the embrace of destiny, on the Tender Wings of Desire?”

I guess KFC and Romance novels do have some things in common: They’re both steamy, juicy and delicious.

As Donald Trump might say, ‘Let’s Make Fried Chicken Sexy Again!’

Meanwhile, Kraft tells you how to ‘Swear Like A Mother’

‘Swear like a mother.’ That’s Kraft Foods’ Mother’s Day message. And here’s Kraft’s explanation:

“Seventy-four percent of moms admit to swearing in front of their kids. We enlisted mother, author and swearing expert, Melissa Mohr, Ph.D., to suggest some kid-friendly alterna-swears for moms everywhere to make things right. And if they don’t, there’s always Kraft Mac & Cheese.”

Watch the hilarious video! And download the free Mother’s Day Cards celebrating the ‘Swear Like A Mother’ campaign…

Ta, ta for now…

~ Maggie J.