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Prince Harry Royal Wedding KFC

Royal Wedding round-up: how top brands are marking Harry & Meghan's nuptials

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

May 18, 2018 | 7 min read

Ever since Prince Harry plucked up the courage to propose to Suits actress Meghan Markle over a roast chicken, the Royal Wedding media frenzy has been mounting, and now – for better or for worse – some of the nation's best-known brands are marking the big day in their own special way.

royals

Some of the nation's best-known brands are marking the day in their own special way

Speculation is mounting over everything, from the Queen's hat to who has made it on to the 600-person guest list; from which designer is behind Markle's dress to the Prince's vows.

However, the one certain tradition (if we learned anything from Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding) is that we can expect all manner of timely stunts from advertisers looking to capitalise on the buzz.

Here, The Drum rounds up how some brands are marking the occasion.

Marks & Spencer

marks and spencer royal wedding

Riffing off the now famous chicken proposal, the M&S roast chicken sandwich has undergone a "royal makeover" in homage to the love birds. The British retailer is also offering free meal deals to members of the public who have been specially invited to the wedding, following some confusion over whether guests will be offered refreshments by the royals.

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Not content with one rebrand to mark the occassion, the traditional British store has now rebranded to 'Markle & Sparkle' ahead of the big day. The official unveiling will take place the day before the wedding (18 May) at the Windsor store.

Deliveroo

deliveroo royal wedding

Deliveroo, the British food delivery service, is going late night on 19 May, to make sure wedding guests, revellers and royalists across the country don’t have to settle for plain pasta, instant noodles or "the unholy burnt toast" when they arrive home following the day’s celebrations.

It's also running a social media competition that will see it give out £5000 worth of credit to Brits gutted that the country’s most eligible bachelor is off the market under the hashtag #HarryTheHeartbreaker.

KFC

kfc_royal_wedding 11

Another chicken-themed stunt from KFC will see the fast-food giant upgrade to its usual grease-stained cardboard bucket in honor of this Saturday's ceremony. The new, limited-edition chicken bucket replaces the traditional red and white design with gold detailing and features the British and American flags enclosed in a heart and flanked by two regal-looking birds. Just 50 of the buckets will be given away on the wedding day, and only at KFC's Windsor location, near St. George's Chapel.

Tesco

Sticking to the food theme, Tesco is set to marry up a few traditional British meals with some American treats. Throwing tradition aside, the superstore has created the likes of Earl Grey Iced Tea to toast the happy couple, Full English Nachos to share and Eton Mess S’mores for sweet treats.

Soda Stream

SodaStream is using the Royal Wedding as an occassion to highlight the fight against single-use plastic, as it prepares to auction off a number limited edition bottles for charity. Each bottle is donned with a hat, as per British wedding tradition, with the money raised per bottle being donated to a plastic-free charity.

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

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It's not just British brands jumping on the bandwagon, as Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing unveils a bejeweled bottle "fit for a princess" with $35,000 worth of jewels decorated one of the salad dressings bottles. Following the wedding, the bottle will be gifted to one social media user.

Strongbow

strongbrow

At 125 years old, you would think Strongbow would know better. Alas the British cider brand has joined the celebrations asking Americans to raise a limited edition royal rose tea cup set, designed especially for the occasion by British designer, Stanly Chow, of it's new rose apple cider.

An Aberdeenshire Butchers

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An Aberdeenshire butchers is creating a special ginger sausage in a bid to twin with Prince Harry ahead of the wedding. Adding the likes of paprika and marmalade, the butcher has topped the recipe off with a glug of Irn Bru to get that perfect orange shade. The butchers, which has been used by the queen in the past, will send the sausages as a gift to the royal couple.

Sexy Fish Car

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After the creative agency This Mission saw pictures of the royal couple out at a London sushi bar, Sexy Fish, it got imaginative and created the 'Sexy Fish Car' with a "lookalike couple", just in case the pair are in need of a lift anytime.

Farmers Insurance

farmers insurance

To celebrate the coming together of a Brit and American, Farmers Insurance is "British-ifying" itself for the week leading up the big day. Adding bowler hats to the actors and travelling by horse and cart, the insurance company hasn't apparently visited the UK since the 1920s.

Cottonelle

Cottonelle: advert-body-3 by A Practical Wedding

By Cottonelle

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For those sharing their wedding day with Harry and Meghan, May 19, couples can register to 'Feel the New Wave of Clean' to win a year's worth of textured toilet tissue and flushable wipes to last through their first (paper) anniversary, thanks to a partnership with blog A Practical Wedding.

Prince Harry Royal Wedding KFC

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