posted 04-23-2017 01:45 PM               

KFC Explores The Final Frontier With Colonel Rob Lowe

Brand recruits Hollywood legend to launch new Zinger spicy chicken sandwich into space

KFC has enlisted actor, writer and producer Rob Lowe as the newest celebrity Colonel to play the brand's iconic founder, Colonel Harland Sanders. Aligning with the debut of the spicy, crispy and hand-breaded Zinger sandwich in America, the Hollywood funny man will appear in advertisements in a spacesuit to make the world-famous Zinger literally out of this world.

KFC revealed Lowe as the new Colonel under the helmet, following teasers posted on the brand's social media channels. Beginning April 23, Lowe will be featured in a campaign centered on launching the delicious Zinger chicken sandwich into space this summer (details of which will be revealed later this spring).

"My grandfather was the head of the Ohio chapter of the National Restaurant Association in the 1960s and took me to meet Colonel Harland Sanders when I was a kid. It was a big deal. I thought this would be a nice homage to both Colonel Sanders and to my grandfather," said Lowe. "Plus, we're sending the Zinger chicken sandwich to space. You kind of can't beat that."

Offering quality taste that you can't get anywhere else, the Zinger is made The Hard Way with a 100 percent white meat breast filet, hand-breaded and fried to a golden brown by trained cooks in every KFC kitchen, and served with lettuce and Colonel's mayonnaise on a toasted sesame seed bun.

"I have no idea how we'll launch a chicken sandwich into space, but the marketing team thinks they can do it," said Kevin Hochman, KFC U.S. president and chief concept officer. "What I do know, is the Zinger is the bestselling KFC chicken sandwich in 120 countries and it's now available in America."

With an astronomical fan following across the world, the Zinger travels to the U.S. on April 24, available at participating restaurants as an individual sandwich ($3.99) or as a $5 Fill Up meal (prices may vary; tax extra). The Zinger $5 Fill Up includes a freshly-prepared Zinger sandwich, wedges, a medium drink and a chocolate chip cookie — an exceptional value.

posted 06-13-2017 08:00 AM               

KFC to launch Zinger chicken sandwich to edge of space on World View Stratollite

KFC is launching a chicken sandwich on a mission that could make history at the edge of space.

The chicken restaurant chain, which has been teasing the "spaceflight" in television ads for two months, revealed the first details of its "Zinger 1" mission on Tuesday (June 13). KFC will fly a Zinger sandwich aboard the maiden voyage of World View Enterprises' Stratollite high-altitude platform.

posted 06-13-2017 08:05 AM               

Just like an astronaut, the Zinger has to go through extensive testing and training to ensure its safety in space. But unlike an astronaut, the Zinger is a chicken sandwich.

posted 06-20-2017 04:29 PM               

Due to better weather conditions, World View has decided to push its first launch attempt to this Thursday, June 22. KFC's livestream of the launch will begin between 4 and 5 a.m. Pacific (7-8 a.m. Eastern; 1100-1200 GMT).

posted 06-22-2017 07:41 AM               

Unfortunately the weather will not permit us to launch today. We will announce another launch date soon. Stay spicy.

posted 06-22-2017 07:55 AM               

Launch postponed. But mankind has waited an eternity to launch a Zinger into space, so a little longer can't hurt. New launch date to come.

Zinger 1 has been scrubbed today due to increased ground wind conditions. Next launch attempt looks like Saturday.

posted 06-23-2017 07:24 PM               

I asked KFC (via Twitter) about patch availability and they replied:

Stay tuned, Robert! Big things coming in the KFC-designed-mission-patch department.

posted 06-28-2017 03:02 PM               

Officials with World View, the stratospheric exploration company, today announced the launch of the first extended duration development flight of its high-altitude Stratollite vehicle has been rescheduled. The launch window will open on Thursday, June 29 starting at 5 a.m. Pacific Time. Follow World View and KFC social media channels for real-time mission updates.

posted 06-29-2017 09:10 AM               

When KFC *actually* went to space: Before Zinger 1, there was 'Chix in Space'

A spicy, crispy chicken sandwich, riding in an animatronic "bucket satellite," mounted to a steerable platform, is now soaring into the stratosphere carried by a giant helium balloon.

The Zinger 1 mission serves as both a shakeout cruise for World View Enterprises' Stratollite high-altitude vehicle and a commercial for Kentucky Fried Chicken's newest menu offering. The earlier has applications for science, disaster response and telecommunications; the latter is a fast food marketing campaign complete with Rob Lowe appearing in TV commercials as a spacesuited Colonel Sanders.

Despite it being billed by KFC as a "space mission," the Zinger chicken sandwich is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) shy of leaving the atmosphere. The planned four-day flight might set a record for the longest controlled stratospheric balloon flight of a commercial cargo in history, but it is not the first KFC-sponsored space payload.

For that, you need to look back three decades.

posted 06-29-2017 10:00 AM               

Important announcements require important press conferences where reporters ask important questions and, more importantly, I get to wear a cool-looking space suit.

posted 06-29-2017 01:54 PM               

Today, the KFC Zinger chicken sandwich made it to space! And I couldn't be more proud. Well, I mean I could. I have children you know.

Godspeed, brave Zinger. Godspeed.

posted 07-01-2017 10:09 AM               

World View is happy to report the results of its recent Stratollite shakedown cruise in announcing both a successful launch and test of its new Stratollite vehicle, altitude control and steering capabilities. Within the first few hours of flight, all system test objectives were met, including the keystone altitude control capability, solar power generation and successful distribution, high-definition video downlink, and effective steering of the vehicle.

Our special payload passenger, KFC's Zinger Spicy Chicken Sandwich, performed flawlessly and experienced incredible views from the edge of space.

After ~17 hours of flight and control, World View chose to return the Stratollite and Zinger to earth earlier than anticipated due to a small leak in one of the company's innovative new altitude control balloon systems. That said, we are extremely pleased with the results of the mission. Many of these systems were flown for the very first time and tested together simultaneously.

Pending an analysis of large amounts of flight data and key learnings from this mission, World View plans to launch additional Stratollite test missions with increasing flight duration in the near future.

posted 08-09-2017 10:32 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
Today's delivery was a surprise...

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