Collingwood welcomes KFC Australia as the club’s new Premier Partner.
A household name for all Australians, KFC has signed a four-year deal with the Pies to establish a partnership that will encompass the club’s four football programs.
KFC supports Collingwood’s commitment to male and female sport and will put its name behind Collingwood’s AFL, AFLW, VFL and VFLW sides.
The iconic KFC logo will feature on the back of the home and front of the away jumpers across all teams.
With the club’s AFLW and VFLW teams in contention and the AFL and VFL undertaking a pivotal time of change under the guidance of GM of Football Graham Wright and new AFL senior coach Craig McRae, the decision to sign a new premier partner in KFC is a timely one.
The partnership will include key brand integration across member initiatives and match-days. KFC will also support the club’s community and grassroot initiatives.
Collingwood and KFC have also created an AFLW career pathway and development program.
The program includes professional and personal development sessions, leadership workshops, and mentoring programs for the club’s AFLW players.
KFC joins Emirates, Nike and La Trobe Financial as premier partners for the club’s AFL program, and AIA as co-major of the AFLW program and Nike also sponsors the AFLW program.
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Collingwood CEO, Mark Anderson, said the club is pleased to welcome a new premier partner.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have long-term and loyal partners at Collingwood. The last time we changed our premier partner was back in 2010. This is a significant moment for us,” Anderson said.
“We welcome KFC as our new premier partner. KFC is another global brand which reinforces the strength of partnerships we experience across all of our corporate partners.
“Over the past two years the industry has faced unprecedented challenges through the impact of COVID. Our partnership with KFC is recognition of how well our club has emerged from those years of difficulty and is an endorsement of our future.
“Collingwood works to be recognised as a home for elite performance, as a club that cares for its people and gives back to the community.
“Over the past 12 months the club has gone through a period of transformative change and it is fitting that as we embark on a new Collingwood era KFC shares in and supports this journey.
“I would also like to acknowledge the 11 years of wonderful support given to Collingwood by CGU, who are leaving us. I thank them for helping to create a strong period for Collingwood in which the club played in two AFL grand finals and played finals in six seasons and contributed to our much valued community programs.”
KFC Chief Marketing Officer, Kristi Woolrych, echoed Anderson’s words.
"We're known for creating great combos, but Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pies surely takes the cake! We're thrilled to be Collingwood's newest premier partner, working closely to support the team, as well as the club's growing community,” Woolrych said.
"We're always looking for ways to support the football community further, and we're excited for what the next four years will bring.
“We're also delighted to be teaming up with the club to create their AFLW career pathway and development program. This is a new program for both Collingwood and KFC to be involved in and one we are fully supportive of."
The new-look Collingwood guernsey will make its first appearance at the 2022 AFLW round one match in early January.
For more information about KFC, please visit www.facebook.com/KFCAustralia or http://www.kfc.com.au.
About KFC
KFC, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM.) is a global chicken restaurant brand with a rich, decades-long history of success and innovation. It all started with one cook, Colonel Harland Sanders, who created a finger lickin' good recipe more than 75 years ago, a list of secret herbs and spices scratched out on the back of the door to his kitchen. Today we still follow his formula for success, with real cooks breading and freshly preparing our delicious chicken by hand in more than 24,000 restaurants in over 145 countries and territories around the world. For more information, visit www.kfc.com.au.
