KFC: Indy Is Finger-Lickin' Good

The city of Indianapolis has signed a sponsorship deal worth $5,000 with KFC Corp., reports Anthony Schoettle at Indianapolis Business Journal.

KFC will use images of iconic Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Harland Sanders with Indianapolis firefighters and city fire trucks to help market the launch a new product, fiery grilled chicken wings, later this month. In exchange, Louisville-based KFC will provide $2,500 to the local fire department to buy 1,000 smoke detectors that will be handed out to the public. KFC also will pay $2,500 for about 150 fire extinguishers (each with a KFC logo) for 17 Indy Parks recreation centers.

The Indiana town of Brazil also is part of the chicken wing campaign, IBJ reports. Brazil will get $2,500 to repair or replace fire hydrants in exchange for putting the KFC logo on at least three of them.

This Indianapolis Observer notes that Brazil has a population of less than 8,300, making their "haul" about 30 cents per person. Indy's population is about 785,000, netting about .006 cents per person. Seems clear that Brazil has better sponsorship negotiators!

UPDATE (7 January 2010):
The national ridicule has started, for example this article on Salon.com. "KFC pays two cities to shill 'fiery' wings on public property.... 'It's offsetting a need, it's offsetting some of our budget costs,' [Jen Pittman, spokeswoman for Mayor Greg Ballard] said."