Yum! KFC notches a Kentucky Fried record

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KFC marked the 70th anniversary of founder Kentucky Colonel Harland Sanders’ proprietary secret “Original Recipe” of 11 herbs and spices by attempting to set a new world record for largest single serving of fried chicken on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010 at Fourth Street Live! in Louisville, Ky. A KFC spokesman said more than 2,400 pounds of chicken were served, shattering the as-yet uncertified previous record of 1,654 pounds set by an Indiana festival in July. (Photo by Billy Suratt)

Publicity stunt events cooked up by companies’ PR departments usually don’t excite me, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see a 7-foot-tall bucket of chicken Tuesday in Louisville.

The record was formerly held by a KFC in Kuwait, but it was unofficially broken July 2 at Canoefest in Brookville, Ind., with 1,654 lbs. served up in — wait for it — a canoe.

KFC set their sights on an even ton, but spokesman Ryan Eichler said they ended up with over 2,400 lbs. of fried goodness. I’d hoped for an exact piece count and more accurate tonnage information, but it wasn’t readily available at the time.

I got there late due to an aircraft carrier-sized farm implement almost completely blocking both lanes of Kentucky Highway 80 for the first half hour of my journey, but it looked like there wasn’t exactly a large media throng to compete with. AP just ran with a handout shot by Louisville-based freelancer Brian Bohannon and The Courier-Journal doesn’t seem to have even run anything.

I started to not even go, but I kept thinking “Y’know, a 7-foot bucket of chicken on the 70th anniversary of The Colonel’s secret recipe is just bizarre enough that it might be interesting.” And it was!

Tags: Behind The Viewfinder, Chicken, Fried Chicken, Kentucky, KFC, KY: Jefferson County, KY: Louisville, Photojournalism, Public Relations, The Courier-Journal, YUM! Brands

Category: Behind The Viewfinder