Greener Pastures for Chick-fil-A Cows?

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Barry Kern of Kern Studios in New Orleans – builder of Mardi Gras floats, statues, and plenty of Chick-fil-A cows – was a bit worried.

In the summer of 2016, Kern learned that Chick-fil-A changed ad agencies after 22 years with The Richards Group in Dallas, creator of the iconic “Eat Mor Chikin” campaign launched on 3-D billboards in 1995.

“I called Sean,” recalls Kern, referring to Sean Reilly, CEO of billboard company Lamar Advertising Company in Baton Rouge.  “Sean, what am I gonna do with all these cows?’

“Sean said to hold onto ‘em.”


Chick-fil-A cows in storage at Kern Studios, New Orleans

In the summer of 2016, headlines with out-to-pasturemetaphors suggested that the cows were passé:

But the cows are not gone.  They’re multi-media, experimenting with virtual reality, and about to become bilingual.

“You’ll still see our cows up to their usual shenanigans on billboards,” said Suzi Yebio, Chick-fil-A’s senior manager of advertising.  “Chick-fil-A’s cow placement on billboards initially put our ‘Eat Mor Chikin’ campaign on the map, so they will continue to be a presence in that medium” and other platforms.

When the Atlanta Braves moved 14 miles from Turner Field to the new Sun-Trust Park, the giant Chick-fil-A cow in the outfield moved, too, to the right-center field walkway.

In New Orleans, Kern Studios trimmed 18,000 pounds from the 40-foot cow, sending it back to Atlanta in the spring of 2017 on a truck with the hashtag #cowonthemove.


Chick-fil-A cow en route to new Braves Stadium

For the first time, Chick-fil-A bought national air time during the Grammys in February.  Thirty-second TV spots, produced by McCann New York, showed cows with virtual reality goggles.  The company gave away thousands of Chick-fil-A branded cardboard VR viewers.

“Don’t be surprised,” teases the Atlanta-based company, “if you see the cows even learning to speak Spanish.”

Early days

More than two decades ago – facing better-known competitors with bigger ad budgets, Chick-fil-A sought to break through via billboards.

Early attempts were inspired in part by Bart Simpson’s motto “Don’t Have a Cow.”  A separate ad design featured a ladder on an almost finished Chick-fil-A billboard with the inscription:  “Boss. Got Hungry, Back Soon.”

Merging these concepts, in 1995, Chick-fil-A put 3-D cows on billboard catwalks with a misspelled plea of self-preservation: “Eat Mor Chikin.”

“Fans of the chicken chain fell in love from the moment they saw that first cow duo painting its first sign,” said Ad Week. “No other fast-food chain had created anything remotely similar.”

In the competitive restaurant industry, Chick-fil-A scores high in employee politeness and per-store revenue (its restaurants are open six days a week).  Congressman David Scott, D-GA, whose district includes its headquarters, refers to Chick-fil-A as a blue-chip company.

Hall of Fame

The cows’ message spread to other outdoor-ad formats such as wall signs, water towers, and foul poles at the Houston Astros’ stadium.

The award-winning campaign was inducted into the outdoor advertising hall of fame in 2006 and added to the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame the following year.

This year, Chick-fil-A’s “Cow Appreciation Day” is July 11, when customers dressed like cows get a free meal.

Like Barry Kern in New Orleans, many worried about the cows’ fate, prompting Chick-fil-A to post this statement on its website under “frequently asked questions:”

Q. Why is Chick-fil-A still doing Cow Appreciation Day if they parted ways with the cows’ ad agency?  I heard the cows might go away. Is this true?

A. The cows aren’t going anywhere and will remain an essential part of our brand and advertising.  


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