KFC Is Selling Actual Buckets Of Chips (But It’s For A Good Cause)

Have you ever perused KFC’s menu and thought to yourself: “what I could really go for right now is a whole bucket of hot chips”? Welp, your lack of self-restraint is about to be rewarded – and you’ll be helping a charity into the bargain.

For a limited time, KFC Australia is selling buckets of hot chips for $5 to raise awareness for youth mental-health issues. $1 from every purchase will go directly to supporting young Aussies via the KFC Youth Foundation and its charity partners: ReachOut, Whitelion, StreetWork, Youngcare and Reach.

The cleverly named ‘Chip In For Youth’ week kicks off on August 6 and ends on August 12. (That gives you just six days to get your hands on a bucket.)

According to KFC’s annual Youth Confidence Report, young Aussies are in crisis mode, with 40 per cent experiencing a lack of confidence every day and a whopping 80 per cent having battled mental health issues at some stage. Here are some of the chief findings from the report:

• Aussie youth rank 6/10 on Youth Confidence Index, with 40 per cent of young Aussies experiencing a lack of confidence every day (up slightly from up from 5.5 last year)
• Fewer than one in five young people feel confident enough to be themselves in all areas of their lives
• Close to 40 per cent reporting that their lack of confidence has left them feeling depressed
• Young women are up to 20% more likely to experience a lack of confidence most or every day than young men
• Three in four young Aussies say the rise of influencers has created more social pressures and mental health issues
• 79 per cent reported media misrepresents them, affecting their confidence to succeed.

“This year’s survey results show there is more to be done to ensure all young Aussies feel the confidence they need to thrive,” KFC Australia’s managing director Nikki Lawson said in a statement. “But we know we can’t do it alone. [Our charity partners] have been doing some amazing work to help young Australians confidently take on the challenges life throws at them.”

Hmm. It’s worth noting that youth’s obsession with body image has a significant impact on their self-confidence. As KFC’s own report acknowledges, the rise of social influencers – invariably fit, happy and healthy – has created more social pressures and mental health issues such as anxiety.

In other words, a bucket of deep-fried hot chips might not be the most appropriate product for this initiative. But anything that helps should be applauded, we guess.