That Time James Bond Partnered With KFC

This week sees the release of the new/two-year-old James Bond movie No Time to Die, starring Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, plus CGI recreations of Sean Connery and Roger Moore, who have to fight Doctor Octopus in order to save the multiverse … we hope. And of course, this being a Bond movie, it comes along with a wealth of lucrative tie-in campaigns highlighting extravagant products such as watches, jewelry, cars, champagne, and even designer handbags for some reason.

Back in the early ‘90s, though, James Bond wasn’t too snooty to shill for America’s finest purveyor of buckets crammed with greasy chicken blobs. Timothy Dalton’s second outing as Bond, License to Kill, boasted a corporate partnership with the distinctly unrefined Kentucky Fried Chicken -- who, you have to imagine, also had to acquire a license to kill before selling that chicken sandwich where the bread is replaced with two pieces of fried chicken. 

KFC even held a contest called “Be Bond for a Day!” As advertised on England’s License to Kill VHS tapes, the grand prize winner would get to live like James Bond for 24 hours. Presumably, this entailed drinking way too much, cheating on your partner without using protection, and not going within a hundred feet of a KFC.

KFC also seemingly tried to class-up the promotion by selling neckties. Hideous, hideous neckties. And really, no one should be buying their formal wear at KFC. That should probably be illegal. Just try and wear one of these garish affronts to fashion at a swanky casino and see if a bouncer doesn’t launch you out the door immediately, DJ Jazzy Jeff-style. Thankfully, Bond has since gone on to promote higher-end items that most of us will never be able to afford in a million years unless we too become murderous stooges for the government. The system works.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter! And check out the podcast Rewatchability.

Top Image: MGM/KFC