Cape Town, South Africa. You’ve heard of The Tinder Swindler, but another shameless trickster has been darkening the doorways of KFCs across South Africa. Word spread far and wide on social media that someone was visiting KFC restaurants posing as a quality assurance inspector and, while the truth of this assertion has not been confirmed, it does demonstrate the extraordinary lengths people will go to for the irresistible finger-licking-good-taste of the world’s most famous chicken. Inspired by this viral report of a KFC-obsessed imposter, KFC and its advertising agency, Ogilvy South Africa, cleverly tapped into popular culture to launch a new brand film ‘Anything for the Taste’.
Filmed by Greg Gray of Romance Films and repped by HunkyDory in the UK, this wonderfully disarming, tongue-in-cheek homage to the comedy-laced crime capers of filmmakers such as the Coen Brothers playfully and powerfully leans into the cinematic conventions of the heist movie genre but with a wholly unique and authentically South African flavour. This is enriched by subtly comedic and strongly credible performances by local actors, textured art direction and meticulous production design, and a diverse range of locations across the country that bring the full extent of our fraudster’s finger-licking-good-obsession to life.
The irrepressible energy of the film is enhanced by a punchy and dynamic edit that makes the most of the performances and comedic beats, whilst the brilliant use of ambient and diegetic sound coupled with a superb soundtrack - the iconic ‘Summertime and the Livin’ is Easy’ by Billy Stewart - delivers memorable cinematic heft, depth and impact.
In unrivalled Greg Gray style, the film packs cinematic detail, outstanding performances and endless entertainment into every available second and, coupled with mouth-watering shots of KFC’s enticing meals, tells a compelling and captivating story that is bound to have South Africans rooting for the KFC-crazy chancer and rushing to their nearest KFC to experience the taste people will do anything for.
“This is such an entertaining story – made even more so by the fact that it’s true (sort of) – and presents a great opportunity to capture the audience’s imagination with the passion and dedication that KFC inspires”. Greg Gray, director, Romance Films