Ogilvy’s New ‘Separation’ Spot for KFC is Kind of Depressing

By Erik Oster 

This is not what I needed on a Monday.

Ogilvy Johannesburg’s new spot for KFC, “Separation,” opens with a father picking up his son for a day. “Guess I’ll have him back by six,” he tells the mother. He asks his son what the plan for the day is, and the son says he doesn’t know. The two spend some time at the beach, until it starts to rain, and try to catch up. “You hungry?” the boy asks, and they drive to KFC, where the boy orders the “family treat” which elicits a questioning look from the father. When they drive back to the house, the boy asks again, “You hungry?” as the father accompanies him inside. The hashtag #familytime closes the spot.

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While I appreciate Ogilvy and KFC highlighting a non-traditional family in their advertising, this one is just depressing. The poor kid uses a KFC meal to get his parents to eat a meal together? Aww man, that’s just so sad. Too sad for an advertisement, maybe? Perhaps? I don’t know, because it’s certainly a memorable spot. I’m going to remember this one for a while. But the next time I drive by my neighborhood KFC I’ll be tearing up, not thinking about how much I want fried chicken. Credits after the jump.Credits:

Length:  1 X 40” commercial with 30” cutdown
First flight date: October 2013
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Jhb
City & country:  Johannesburg, South Africa
Agency producer:  Tessa Weakley
Creative director:  Mike Martin
Copywriter:  Jordan Tryon, Thule Ngcese
Art director:  John Nankin
Production co: Egg Films
City & country:  Cape Town, South Africa
Director:  Kim Geldenhuys
Director of photography:  Alard de Smidt
Production co producer:  Cindy Rodkin
Executive producer:  Kerry Hosford
Post production co:  Kwazi Mojo Media and Black Ginger
Editor: Upstairs Post
Music: Joe Purdy – “Good Days”

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