Burger King: One Direction, Buzzfeed spurred chicken fries

After chicken fries played a big part in boosting sales of same-stores by 6.7% during the second quarter, Burger King will introduce a spicy version of this cult favorite in the U.S. during this week.

While the move to bring back Chicken Fries may have been based on iffy evidence, it has paid off for Burger King.

Burger King rolled out fiery chicken fries nationwide on Tuesday, using “a marinade of cayenne pepper black pepper and other savory spices that will make your mouth cry”. The company pointed to tweet by Liam Payne that reads, “I’m so fulllllll!!!” That raises the possibility that Payne just left out a comma, and meant to say he ate chicken and fries – not chicken fries. That tweet included an image of Colonel Sanders and the words “the kernel god bless you and your original recipe”. “We need to continue to innovate, continue to do more”, said Eric Hirschhorn, chief marketing officer North America for Burger King, during a media event announcing the product.

This newest contender may look and feel the same as Burger King’s popular Chicken Fries, which were added earlier this year as a regular menu item.

The fiery fries, which could cost $2.98 for nine pieces, are available while supplies last.

The message was retweeted more than 94.000 times and helped the food product reach “pop culture consciousness”, although Burger King is still not sure what the young fellow wanted to say as the company was a long way from re-commercializing chicken fries.

Since being taken over by investment firm 3G Capital, the chain has leaned heavily on its past for ideas.