Apparently KFC is causing quite the stir on Instagram (here). Interesting, with Lebanon divided between the ever-shrinking haves and the ubiquitous and growing have nots, going to places such as KFC is becoming bit by bit, a luxury. Now, KFC decided to go to on a totally different line of advertising. Slang Arabic? Yes. Slices of life? Also yes. Completely kitschy visuals? Bien sur. The original idea must have appeared nice on paper. Before anything let me clear: One needs to be either totally incompetent or totally genius to come up with such ads. By this I mean, using such purposefully ugly, completely low-brow, just-post-whatever, is as I said either totally haphazard or a very shrewd move.
I can't believe I am quoting Susan Sontag's issue "On Camp" here: "Camp’ is a vision of the world in terms of style—but a particular style. It is the love of the exaggerated." So either the KFC team is versed on Sontag's reading (which, without insulting them, I doubt), or they're having a kick by going totally overboard because "why the hell not?". If I liked those ads or not is beyond the point, there are apparently a lot of people - from the dwindling middle-class - who do.
That's the target audience. So it works.