By The Huffington Post News Editors
Back in April of 2010, the media was fast to descend on KFC‘s Double Down following the sandwich’s debut in U.S. stores. Gleeful attacks on the bunless offering, which features two deep-fried chicken patties, bacon, two types of melted cheese and a “secret” sauce, included a takedown from The New York Times’ Sam Sifton, who dismissed it as “stunt food” and a “new low” in the category at that. Despite the bad reviews, or perhaps buoyed by them, people bought the sandwich in droves. A month later, KFC had sold 10 million Double Downs and decided to extend the limited-time product’s run indefinitely.
But reports of its initial success were downplayed by analysts, and the Double Down slowly slipped from the domestic spotlight. (A KFC spokesman would not confirm if it is still available in U.S. stores.) Yet in the last two years, the sandwich has popped up in one foreign market after the next, transforming the one-time April Fool‘s gag into a runaway fast food success worldwide.
The unlikely hit is the direct result of parent company Yum! Brands’ successful strategy of transplanting concepts — often outrageous ones — across international markets. In addition to KFC, Yum! Brands’ global portfolio includes Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, which all offer some products with shock-based appeal.