KFC has gone full Big Baller, launches limited-edition clothing line

If you ever wanted to be that person in your friend group who rocks KFC gear, then today is the best day of your life.

When you think of KFC, the first place your mind usually doesn’t go is to a clothing line. Nothing in the history of the fried chicken franchise has ever associated itself positively with clothing — until now.

KFC has taken a page out of LaVar Ball’s book and has launched a limited-edition clothing brand. The merchandise actually extends beyond clothing to items of memorabilia like a ‘Zinger Meteorite’ and pillows with paintings of Colonel Sanders on them.

It’s a real thing, and it’s one of those things that might actually catch on in a weird, ironic Millennial way.

This is, of course, assuming that we even care about about KFC. The war for the fried chicken soul of millennial has seemingly shifted Popeyes to the winning side, but this is a power move by KFC to storm back to relevance.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to fall asleep next to this:

Credit: KFC

Or spend almost $100 on this:

The battle lines have been very clearly drawn here, but the question is will this all work?

That’s the gamble LaVar Ball took with launching his Big Baller Brand and there are similarities here. KFC isn’t going as all-in as the Ball family, but they’re both hinging their success on the idea that their products will catch on.

For Ball, that depends on the success of his son at the NBA level. For KFC it depends on whether or not the gamble that hipster millennial will ironically (and therefore proudly) wear their clothing.

It’s not the worst gamble in the world. Just looking at the products for 10 minutes already has me pondering if I’d buy it, which is the first successful step to making a sale.