Did you ever imagine potholes on city streets across America would be filled by the same company that serves fried chicken? The fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken has offered to fill up potholes to promote its “Fresh Tastes Best” marketing campaign.

KFC’s hometown, Louisville Ky., was the first city to have their pavement stamped with the nonpermanent chalk stencil reading “Re-freshed by KFC”. In addition to the Louisville project, KFC has asked all U.S mayors to nominate their cities’ roads to be repaired. The chain will select as many as four more cities for pothole assistance.

KFC’s pothole-filling is part of a growing number of efforts by companies to be socially responsible and give back to their communities. For example, Starbucks spent a week in New Orleans with its store operators in an effort to rebuild the city, donating about 50,000 community-service hours in total. The investment was quickly repaid with free media coverage. Similarly, Samsung has installed 115 electrical charging stations in major airports to help travelers stay connected.

Javier Benito, KFC executive vice president of marketing and food innovation, said that this is “a perfect example of that rare and optimal occurrence when a company can creatively market itself and help local governments and everyday Americans across the country.” At a time of economic downturn, KFC’s pothole repair sponsorship will not only help them ease city government’s budget strains but also should build goodwill in the eyes of the public.

In today’s competitive marketplace, companies must think of innovative branding methods to effectively capture their target audiences. By stamping their logo on streets in American cities, and thereby generating free publicity, KFC’s brand identity will be enhanced. And hopefully, in the short or the long run, those branded potholes will help them sell more chicken.