How Words Moved More Fries Than Any Price Cut Or New Flavour Ever Did

If you think words don’t sell, let me take you back to Australia, 2014.

KFC is stuck.

Their $1 French fries are already a hit, already cheap, already everywhere.

But sales hit a wall.

They need to move a mountain of fries—fast.

Enter Sam Tatam and his crew at Ogilvy.

How do you make a hot deal hotter?

Can’t change the price.

Can’t even slap a new wrapper on ‘em.

Hell, you can’t even tweak the salt.

There’s nothing fancy left to squeeze but the story.

Sam lays it out, plain as day:

“We couldn’t change the product or the price, we could only change how people saw it.” 

So the team does what most companies skip.

They dig into the damn research.

No post-it storms, no random whiteboard scribbles.

They hit the books.

Hard.

They dove into behavioural science, hunting for every principle that tweaks how people see value.

The real genius?

They took 18 principles and cranked out 90 different ways to pitch “$1 French fries.”

Ninety.

Then, they trimmed the fat down to five.

All riding on a different mind trick.

1. Loss aversion: “$1.00 French fries won’t be around forever.”

Suddenly, fries have a ticking clock.

Blink and they’re gone.

Cue panic-buying.

Turns up the FOMO.

People hate losing more than they like winning.

2. Reciprocity: “You wanted free French fries, but we’ll meet you halfway with our French fries for $1.”

A subtle nudge, sort of “We’re compromising, so you should too.”

Makes the deal feel fair.

People love to give back when you give first.

3. Value payoff: “$1.00 French fries – pickup only.”

Want the deal?

Get up and go get it.

Now it feels earned, not just cheap.

4. Anchoring: “Maximum four per customer.”

Caps make people greedy.

If there’s a max, it must be a steal and suddenly everyone’s thinking, “Should I buy four?”

Reminds you of Campbell’s Soup, right?

Sales went wild when they slapped a “Limit 12 per customer” sign up.

5. Social proof: “Everyone’s enjoying our French fries for $1, why not you?”

Everyone’s in.

You want in, too.

That’s the herd talking and Dr. Cialdini would approve.

Your mom? 

Maybe not.

Anyway, here’s the thing.

These weren’t just clever lines—they went through the fire.

KFC tested five versions on Facebook.

Results?

Social proof was dead on arrival.

“Everyone’s doing it” came off like a sales pitch, and people smelled it.

Reciprocity, loss aversion, and value payoff got some bites, but didn’t clear the shelves.

But anchoring?

That hit different.

Once “Maximum 4 per customer” hit the radio and screens, fry sales in South Australia shot up by 56%.

Not a typo.

Fifty-six per cent.

Same product.

Same price.

All they changed was the story.

I know what you’re thinking—sure, French fries move fast, but they’re not winning any wellness awards.

Ok, what if you could use these same mind tricks to sell something that actually does your body good?

Let’s talk matcha.

Think you’re just selling green powder?

Nope.

You’re selling stories in the cup.

Here’s how you could steal Ogilvy’s playbook and make your matcha the must-have in every cup:

Loss Aversion: “Last chance for spring matcha—miss it now, regret it all year.”

Reciprocity: “Bring a friend for matcha, and your next cup’s half price. You share, we share.”

Value Payoff: “Only the bold make the trip—get pure matcha here and savour what no delivery can bring.”             

Anchoring: “Two pouches per person, max. It’s rare for a reason.”

Social Norming: “This blend’s blowing up on Insta—thousands already sipping. Ready to join the club?”

Words aren’t fluff. 

They’re fuel.

They move crowds and sell out shelves. 

Fries, matcha, game-changing ideas—all of it starts with a killer story.

Are you crafting words that spark action, or just hoping for a sale?

PS. Do you struggle to set yourself apart from your competitors? Does your tone of voice lack a little personality? Either way, get in touch and I’ll help you become remarkable. Or get more communication advice that doesn't suck here.