Double Down (sandwich)

KFC "Double Down"

The Double Down is a sandwich offered by Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). The Double Down contains "bacon, two different kinds of melted cheese, the Colonel’s 'secret' sauce... pinched in between two pieces of Original Recipe chicken fillets."^[1] It is also available with grilled chicken fillets instead of the Original Recipe fried fillets. The KFC Double Down was initially test marketed in Omaha, Nebraska and Providence, Rhode Island.^[2] KFC describes the Double Down as a "sandwich" although it does not have bread.

Nutritional analysis

NPR compared its calorie count to that of McDonald's Premium Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich. Both the grilled and fried Double Down products had nearly a full day's worth of sodium according to the American Heart Association's guidelines.^[3] A Los Angeles Times reviewer pointed out that the grilled chicken Double Down has marginally fewer calories and less fat than does the fried chicken Double Down (460 versus 540 calories, and 23g versus 32g fat) but that the grilled chicken option has more sodium (1,430 mg versus 1,380). However, the L.A. Times article noted that both Double Downs have fewer calories than does Burger King's TenderCrisp chicken sandwich, which has 800 calories.^[4]

Marketing

KFC announced the Double Down in an April Fools' Day press release,^[5] and launched the item in the United States on April 12, 2010.^[6] It has been promoted via billboards^[7] and a TV commercial that says it has "so much 100 percent premium chicken, we didn't have room for a bun."

Originally a limited time offer that was supposed to end on May 23, 2010, KFC reversed course on May 19, 2010, stating that the item would remain available indefinitely. The chain cited its popularity in overall sales, as well as videos of people eating the Double Down becoming a YouTube sensation. Stephen Colbert even ate one on The Colbert Report, spurring the item's popularity even more.^[8]

On October 18, 2010, KFC restaurants in Canada began selling the fried version of the Double Down sandwich for a limited time.^[9] It was reported that on its launch date, a KFC in Victoria, British Columbia was sold out of Double Down sandwiches by as early as 2 PM PST.^[10] In French Canada, it is known as "Coup Double",^[11][12] roughly translated as "Double Punch". The sandwich was discontinued in Canada on November 14, 2010, but on 25 May 2011, KFC announced it was returning at least temporarily.^[13]

On November 2010, the Double Down sandwich was launched in select branches in the Philippines, the first in Asia. Nearly one year later, on October 2011, KFC Philippines replaced it with the Zinger Double Down, which is spicy and has a crunchy skin.

KFC Australia started selling the Double Down (renamed The Double) with the tagline "make time for mantime" on March 30, 2011 for a limited time only.^[14] The Double was successful in Australia, although it was criticized for being unhealthy.^[15][16]

From May 10, 2011, the Double Down was available in New Zealand for an initial limited period of five weeks.^[17]

Sales

From its April 12 nationwide launch through early July, a KFC spokesperson reported that the chain had sold 10 million of the sandwiches for a total of about US$50 million in revenue. An analyst said that figure accounts for 5% of KFC's sales in that time period, a figure insubstantial to KFC's financial bottom line.^[18]

The National Organization of Women was offended by a marketing campaign for the Double Down in which female college students were hired to promote the sandwich on college campuses wearing sweatpants with "Double Down" printed on their rears.^[19]

In Canada, the sandwich quickly became KFC's best-selling new menu item ever, quickly selling over 350,000 sandwiches in less than 10 days.^[20] There were rumors that as of November 17, 2010, the Double Down would be discontinued on KFC menus in Canada, despite sales in excess of one million sandwiches, but they are currently still being sold in some restaurants across the country.^[21]

References

1. ^ Katelin Paiz Breadless sandwiches go to extremes September 17, 2009 Daily Titan (Cal State Fullerton)
2. ^ Scott Gold The KFC Double Down: This Is Why the Terrorists Hate Our Freedom September 25, 2009 The Faster Times
3. ^ Popovich, Nadja (April 13, 2010). "The Nutritional Lowdown On KFC's Double Down". NPR. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/04/shots_v_the_double_down.html. 
4. ^ Kennedy, Gerrick (April 12, 2010). "KFC's Double Down: A cheesy, sodium-filled sandwich -- will you be buying?". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/comments_blog/2010/04/kfc-double-down-sandwich-will-you-be-buying.html. 
5. ^ Wells, Jane (6 April 2010). "KFC's New Sandwich-What Would the Colonel Say?". CNBC.com. http://www.cnbc.com/id/36191290/. Retrieved 25 April 2010. 
6. ^ Chen, Dalson (15 April 2010). "This sandwich lacks ... bread!". Windsor Star. http://www.windsorstar.com/health/This+sandwich+lacks+bread/2908397/story.html. Retrieved 25 April 2010. ^{[dead link]}
7. ^ Rosemary Black KFC's new 'Double Down' sandwich swaps bun for two deep-fried chicken breasts, extra calories August 26th 2009 New York Daily News
8. ^ "KFC to keep selling meaty Double Down". USA Today. May 21, 2010. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2010-05-19-kfc-meaty-double-down_N.htm?csp=34. 
9. ^ "It's Here! KFC Canada Introduces Double Down on October 18, 2010" (Press release). KFC. October 7, 2010. http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Its-Here-KFC-Canada-Introduces-Double-Down-on-October-18-2010-1331226.htm. 
10. ^ "KFC Debuts the Double Down in Canada - Sandwich Sells out at Victoria restaurant". A News. October 18, 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOA2UuVzMYs. 
11. ^ http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Il-arrive-PFK-offrira-le-sandwich-Coup-Double-a-compter-du-18-octobre-2010-1331227.htm
12. ^ http://www.cyberpresse.ca/vivre/sante/nutrition/201010/19/01-4333934-le-dangereux-coup-double-de-pfk-arrive-au-pays.php
13. ^ [1]
14. ^ Jones, Grant (March 29, 2011). "KFC's 1939kj Double Down Burger takes an hour of intense exercise to burn off". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.news.com.au/national/kfcs-1939kj-double-down-burger-takes-an-hour-of-intense-exercise-to-burn-off/story-e6frfkvr-1226029730181. 
15. ^ Millimaci, Grace (March 30, 2011). "Manly burger gets the thumbs down". The West Australian. http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/lifestyle/a/-/food/9099247/manly-burger-gets-the-thumbs-down/. Retrieved August 26, 2011. 
16. ^ "New burger without buns". The West Australian. March 29, 2011. http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/mp/9092592/new-burger-without-buns/. Retrieved August 26, 2011. 
17. ^ Harper, Paul (May 9, 2011). "Controversial KFC burger on sale tomorrow". New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10724408. 
18. ^ Smith, Aaron (July 14, 2010). "KFC's Double Down fails to take off". CNN. http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/14/news/companies/kfc_double_down/. Retrieved August 26, 2011. 
19. ^ Horovitz, Bruce (September 22, 2010). "KFC pays college women for ad space on buns". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2010-09-22-kfc22_ST_N.htm?csp=hf. 
20. ^ Kennedy, Brendan (October 28, 2010). "Canadians Double Down on KFC's controversial ‘sandwich'". The Star (Toronto). http://www.thestar.com/article/882437--kfc-s-double-down-sets-canadian-sales-record. 
21. ^ Leung, Wency (November 16, 2010). "The Double Down disappears in Canada". The Globe and Mail (Toronto). http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/the-double-down-disappears-in-canada/article1801084/. 

External links

• "Double Down by the Numbers: Unhealthiest Sandwich Ever?". fivethirtyeight.com — Thorough analysis of the Double Down's nutrition facts compared with those of other fast food items