YFC, a Christchurch food truck, has been forced to rebrand after too many resemblances to the Colonel.
Benjamin Yang, a 17-year-old food truck operator from Christchurch, has found himself in the middle of a fast food frenzy, caught up in a branding dispute with one of the world’s largest QSR brands.
The 17 year-old opened Yang’s Fried Chicken (YFC) in 2024 with the help of his mother. The food truck, parked on Riccarton Road, sells Korean fried chicken and uses the recipe as a homage to Yang’s father, who died when he was only one year old.
During the day, Yang’s mother, Kathy Qiu, runs the food truck, and the teenager takes over after school. Yang’s presence on social media promoting the food truck has also helped him build a strong following.
However, one video in particular caught the attention of KFC, who noticed strong connections between their branding and Yang’s. To begin with, YFC is a clear play on KFC, the colour red and fonts used are similar, and the logo of Yang is also in an almost reflective pose to the famous Colonel Sanders logo KFC uses.
On June 3rd, Yang received a pile of legal documents in the post, something he admitted gave him a fright.
The letters, representing Kentucky Fried Chicken International Holdings LLC, said that while its client can appreciate the place that parody and satire have in social media marketing, its client was concerned that Yang’s actions would cause damage and dilution to its well-known brand.
The letter also demanded that Yang cease to trade by the name YFC and rebrand his business by July 4th.
Yang said he had no interest in taking on the fast food giant and has decided to rebrand. He has taken to social media to scout out a new logo, offering a lifetime supply of chicken for free for the winner.
Yang’s mother said it was ridiculous for KFC to threaten her son’s business. She added that she was proud of her son, who had built the business and its reputation almost entirely on his own at only 17 years of age.
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