KFC made world news last year when it released the ‘Double Down’ sandwich in the United States. The chicken monolith took two massive deep fried fillets and slipped in fried bacon, two types of cheese and a special sauce. It incurred the wrath of nutritionists with its 540+ calorie count, and was received with laughs and disgust by most people who saw the commercial.

The tongue-in-cheek marketing blitz was a masterstroke, however, and the Double Down quickly became a cultural icon of apocalyptic America. It was a constant trending topic on Twitter; it made TV, online and print news headlines; and sold over 15 million ‘units’ in just six weeks. 15 million people may have taken a dare to do it, but 15 million Double Downs were bought, and the previously crumbling KFC franchise was heading back to its glory days.

Now it’s Australia’s turn, and while KFC is in a much better position here than in the United States, it is far from being perceived as a healthy option, and the Double Down is unlikely to do any brand damage that the mountain of publicity won’t assuage.

Renamed ‘The Double’, a name deemed much more Aussie, it will roll out in stores nationally tomorrow as part of KFC’s ‘Month of Mantime’. The campaign, which clearly targets…men, is promising a celebration of manhood. Here is their Facebook page introduction, which features a countdown timer until the start of the month of Mantime, and capitalised prose that elegantly captures how males think and speak…

“APRIL IS THE MONTH OF MANTIME FROM KFC. A TIME WHERE TESTOSTERONE REINS SUPREME. WHERE WE ALL DIVE FACE-FIRST INTO MAN STUFF DEEMED “STUPID” BY OUR FEMALE FRIENDS.

SO, PUT DOWN THAT MANBAG, PICK UP THE XBOX CONTROLLER, STRAP ON YOUR GO-KART HELMET AND GET READY FOR THE MONTH THAT MAKES YOU REMEMBER HOW GOOD IT IS TO BE A MAN!”

Are you ready?