The “Eat Mor Chikin” cow. You’ve seen one before, right? They adorably misspell words. They proudly proclaim their distaste with burgers. Also, they hilariously market for Chick-Fil-A resturants. You might have some questions about the lovable and silly cows. What’s the story behind the cows? As stated in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the “spelling-challenged cows and their ‘Eat Mor Chikin’ signs have lasted more than 15 years — an eternity in the advertising world.” Did you know that? An even lesser known fact about the cows is that the campaign was created to last no longer than 18 months! Those cows have successfully dug their hooves into Chick-Fil-A marketing soil. They don’t seem to be budging soon!
What genius mind birthed the idea? Allow me to introduce you to the parents of the Chick-Fil-A cows. An advertising company based in Dallas, Texas conjured up the cows back in 1995. The company is named Richards Group. According to The Dallas Morning News, “with 2009 revenue of $169.5 million (up 1.5 percent from 2008), the Richards Group ranks as the nation’s largest independent advertising agency and the 12th-largest overall ad agency based on U.S. revenue, according to industry publication Advertising Age.” The company is very thrilled with their friendship with Chick-Fil-A. In a press release from Chick-Fil-A, the company provides a vital quote towards understanding the purpose of the cows. “‘Chick-fil-A came to The Richards Group with big dreams and a small budget,” said Stan Richards, founder and principal for The Richards Group. ‘They needed a campaign that would help them raise awareness and compete against the big burger chains, while preserving their unique philosophies and culture.’”
The cows have been bringing in a steady stream of clients for both companies for 17 years now. Again in a press release from Chick-Fil-A, the company describes the “zany storylines involving Cows parachuting into a football stadium to billboard campaigns featuring the Chick-fil-A Cows’ famous quotes such as “Lose That Burger Belly,” the “Eat Mor Chikin” marketing campaign has propelled the Cows into national brand identities for the Atlanta-based chain.” But, the cows are not only a big deal for the restaurant and restaurant goers. The cows received national attention and “in 2007, the Chick-fil-A “Eat Mor Chikin” Cows were recognized as one of America’s most popular advertising icons in a public vote sponsored by Advertising Week and became the newest members of New York’s Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame.” Now, if you know something about advertising and Madison Avenue in New York (or watch Mad Men!) then you are aware of what an accomplishment Richards Group and Chick-Fil-A achieved with their cows that cannot pass a spelling test.
It is quite incredible how a campaign with a maximum shelf life of 18 months could morph into “the focal point of Chick-fil-A’s in-store point-of-purchase materials, promotions, radio and TV advertising, and clothing and merchandise sales!” Have you seen the advertisements on television? I have even witnessed the commercials airing during the Super Bowl! The cows are (in my opinion) hilarious and highly entertaining!
I’ll let you decide for yourself:
just the chikn sandwich 
