KFC and World View partner to support space research advancement, with the Zinger Stratollite launch window opening on 21 June.
KFC and World View have partnered to launch the Zinger chicken sandwich to the edge of space and bring it back along with telemetry data. The mission will be the longest controlled stratospheric balloon flight with a commercial payload in history and the first ever multi-day mission of the Stratollite flight system.
“We’re excited to be the ones pushing spicy, crispy chicken sandwich space travel forward. But in all seriousness, we’re proud to support World View’s commitment to advancing space research and trust them to take our world famous Zinger sandwich to space,” said Kevin Hochman, President at KFC USA.
From circumnavigating the earth to persistence over a specific location, Stratollites, unlike typical high-altitude balloons, execute a variety of flight profiles and maintain position over areas of interest for days, weeks, and eventually months on end. The Zinger Stratollite launch window opens on 21 June.
Through said application, both brands are showing that rockets are no longer the only way to get payloads to and from space. Stratollites could serve as stationary WiFi hubs in remote or undeveloped areas without internet access or monitor ongoing crisis situations from a previously inaccessible vantage point.
From predicting weather events days in advance to monitoring ongoing or quickly arising weather and disaster events such as forest fire detection, future flights could be used for disaster preparedness and response, ultimately assisting first responders with rapid communications and surveying capabilities.
“This mission offers KFC edge-of-space access, allowing them to embark upon a unique marketing experiment, while we get to pursue our maiden multi-day Stratollite shakedown cruise and open unprecedented access to the stratosphere,” said Taber MacCallum, Co-founder and CTO of World View.
The space mission campaign was conceptualised by Wieden+Kennedy, with support from MediaMonks, Mediavest | Spark, and Edelman. The brand recently introduced the Zinger as an individual sandwich or a $5 Fill Up combo meal in the United States. It is available in over 120 countries and now space for a limited time.
