23 Mar 2015 KFC launches edible coffee cup

The new creation, which has been dubbed the Scoff-ee cup, resembles the chain’s standard, non-edible cup but has been made from a special biscuit, wrapped in sugar paper, and lined with an indulgent layer of heat-resistant white chocolate. As the coffee is drunk,  the white chocolate lining will “begin to melt, slowly”, says KFC’s press release.

KFC brand manager Jocelyn Bynoe claimed that the company had “been experimenting with edible packaging to see if it could be a feasible product to bring to market in limited quantities” for some time.

Plans to introduce the cups will likely coincide with the launch of the chain’s new sale of Seattle Best Coffee from Starbucks, according to USA Today.

The concept behind an edible container was partially to target environmentally-conscientious millennials. “It could fit with any number of brand positions from ‘fast’; to ‘green’ (no waste) to ‘fun’ (at least, it seems fun.),” branding expert Tracey Riese told USA Today. 

However, Riese seemed to think the edible coffee cups at KFC would be more of a short-term marketing ploy, as opposed to a long-term campaign. She believes that since coffee sales are not central to KFC’s brand, the edible cups were more of a “promotional novelty“.

The cup is the work of The Robin Collective, an experimental food company that has also added an aromatic touch, infusing them with “coconut sun cream, freshly cut grass and wild flowers” scents. According to the press release, that’s because the scents “evoke the positive memories we associate with warm weather, sunshine and summer holidays.”