Mountain Dew and KFC are partnering to electrify their beverage lineup with Sweet Lightning, a refreshment lit up with a punch of peach and a touch of honey flavors. Available exclusively at KFC restaurants nationwide by July 1, DEW is fixin’ up a true-to-its-roots soda that will brighten each and every one of your taste buds.
How did this come to be? Meet Sweet. He’s the MTN DEW pitchman who is sweet, smooth and lightning-fast enough to become a mainstay at KFC, where the food is finger lickin’ good. How did it go down? With a “glass is always full” swagger, Sweet strolls into Colonel Sanders’ office with his Southern charm and wins him over quicker than a bolt of lightning could strike. The Colonel and Sweet shook on it, agreeing that Sweet Lightning would not be served in any other restaurant, and one sweet deal was struck.
MTN DEW Sweet Lightning is the first exclusive beverage to be offered at KFC. For DEW, this is only the second time the brand has partnered with a quick-service restaurant—the first being the hugely successful Baja Blast which debuted at KFC’s sister restaurant, Taco Bell, nearly a decade-and-a-half ago.
“Like KFC, MTN DEW is inspired by bold ideas and flavors, making this an authentic relationship from the start,” says Nicole Portwood, vice president of marketing, MTN DEW. “To come together on an exclusive product – Sweet Lightning – is a thrill, and we look forward to delighting our customers’ taste buds and pushing the envelope on creativity.”
Sweet Lightning was developed in partnership with the food and beverage innovation experts at KFC and MTN DEW to create the perfect pairing for KFC’s Original Recipe fried chicken. Original Recipe is a KFC brand staple, and the innovation experts for each brand wanted to create a beverage that is as unique as the fried chicken it was created to complement.
“With the addition of Sweet Lightning, we now have a drink that is as unique to KFC as the Colonel’s secret blend of 11 herbs and spices,” says Andrea Zahumensky, chief marketing officer, KFC U.S. “And like our world-famous fried chicken, Sweet Lightning will keep fans coming back for more.”
MTN Dew’s Sweet Lightning will be on permanent pour at KFC locations nationwide. The beverage joins a list of refreshing PepsiCo drinks already available at KFC
