No fingers were lost in the filming of KFC’s celebratory Independence Day spot, with a surprising thanks to Jackass star Johnny Knoxville’s sage advice.
“Finger Lickin’ Fourth,” a partnership with KFC and the new movie “Jackass: Best and Last,” featuring Knoxville, with creative by indie agency Highdive, features Knoxville behind a desk in a Southern California field, touting the importance of fingers, and how they help in many tasks, including eating finger lickin’ good KFC. He states that July 4th is the most dangerous day of the year for fingers, thanks to firecrackers and other things that go boom.
Knoxville gives sage advice in five parts (for five fingers). They include having buckets of water close by to put out fireworks, keeping distance from explosions (duh), lighting on flat surfaces, and lighting one firework at a time. Follow those rules and you’ll save your fingers for KFC chicken.
Of course, in true Jackass fashion, as Knoxville gives his advice, explosions happen, including inside an RV and one super giant rocket. He then reads a lengthy legal disclaimer, which essentially says not to follow fireworks advice from a chicken restaurant, before seemingly getting whacked by a wrecking ball.
Easter eggs and respect for the Colonel
Fans of Knoxville and his crew of oft-injured daredevils will notice Easter eggs from the series, including the oversized shopping cart from the movie, accompanying Knoxville’s winking humor. That came from Highdive working with “Jackass” co-creator, director and producer Jeff Tremaine.
“It was almost like if this was an episode or pieces of the movie. It felt very, very legit, like (Tremaine) brought his entire…docu-style manner,” said Doug Fallon, ECD at Highdive.
Added Steven Fogel, ECD at Highdive: “It was key to us and to them that it felt as organic and Jackass authentic. We’re not bringing them in to do something different, we just wanted it to feel like this came right out of the partnership between KFC and Jackass.”
The two said that Tremaine and Knoxville brought a creative shorthand to the set that made for a seamless flow during filming.
Fogel said that the qualities that KFC represents, including boldness, irreverence, being a maverick, aligned perfectly with what Jackass has done for decades.
“We always talk about the brand, like giving bland the bird, which is what KFC does, and I think that’s what Jackass does pretty darned well too,” said Fogel.
Fallon added that Knoxville did his research on the actual Colonel, Harland Sanders, and developed a deep respect and fascination for his real life stories, including shooting a man at a gas station, getting in a brawl with a client and even suing the corporate owners of KFC in the 1970s for changing the recipe.
Knoxville even posted the spot to his Instagram and told people to peruse the life of the Colonel.
“I’m not kidding either, this guy was stubborn as pig iron and would throw down in a second if you looked at him askew,” wrote Knoxville.
Reactions are finger lickin’ good, and advice for Indies
The campaign has been a big success for both brands, boosting both the movie and aligning the KFC brand with an entertainment institution. To date, the campaign has generated nearly 20 million video views across platforms, led by the Instagram collaboration post with 10.7 million views and 45,000 engagements. Fans embraced both the humor of the campaign and the natural partnership with Johnny Knoxville, driving overwhelmingly positive conversation across social, with earned media momentum continuing to build as additional coverage rolls out in the coming days.
“The Jackass fans and the KFC fans came together and truly loved it for the fun and the funny that it is,” said Fogel.
KFC and Highdive are seeking out more partnerships, and they want to play up a recent visual ID update for the brand. Highdive loves that it has a bold client, willing to take chances like collaborations with Jackass, and they encourage indie agencies to challenge their brands to take bold steps.
“What we learned from it is being true to the brand, finding the essence of it, and going for something that maybe only your brand could bring to life,” said Fogel.
Fallon added that taking those risks is a bit like the Highdive logo, an image of a diver taking a leap off of a cliff.
“It’s that guy who’s taking that leap…it’s taking that leap creatively, along with the great relationship we have with KFC, everyone just jumping off that cliff together,” stated Fallon.
Added Fogel: “Some brands might be hesitant to go there, because there’s this fear of backlash, or fear of criticism, but I think you gain a lot more by jumping into things…It’s almost a cliche now, but the biggest risk you can take is not going forward.”
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Kyle O’Brien is managing editor of Indie Agency News.
