Atlanta-based fast food chain Krystal has been the talk of the food industry in 2022 with the announcement of the company collaborating with Grammy award-winning recording artist and entrepreneur 2Chainz as the new head of creative marketing.
“I can remember Krystal being a part of so many pivotal moments of my childhood and teen years. Some of my best moments were made better by going to Krystal, and I’m a fan for life,” 2 Chainz said in a press release. “I want everyone to feel that, too, and can’t wait to put Krystal in the spotlight it deserves.”
2Chainz and Krystal’s first launch in the new era is the promotion of the fast food chain’s new chicken sandwich campaign called the Side Chik. To compete against rival chicken sandwiches, the company cleverly appoints popular fitness model, author, and personality Brittany Renner as the face of the Side Chik campaign. The 30-year-old viral influencer’s involvement with Krystal adds to her fast-growing profile, which includes Rolling Loud correspondent and creator of the fitness brand, Rebel by Brittany Renner.
Renner’s public image has been surrounded by controversy, which made her an ideal spokesperson for the new product, and understood the type of attention her involvement would draw to the brand’s re-emergence. “Let me just start by saying, ‘I love this sh*t,” she told VIBE. “I live for it. I feel like one of the truths I had to come to terms with is not only am I built to be in this position and being under these lights, but I love the attention. I love being a game changer. I love starting conversations.”
Last month, The Source caught up with Renner via video chat to discuss her new position, turning her negative press into a positive, working with 2Chainz, and more. Read the full interview below.
MORE: 2Chainz & Krystal Launches ‘Side Chik’ Campaign With Brittany Renner
[Bryson “Boom” Paul]: Well, before we start, congratulations on the new partnership with Krystal… and really just everything you got going on and turning it into a profit because that’s something that a lot of women in your position, and went through what you went through haven’t been able to do. So I just want to congratulate you on what you got going on and turning it into a profit.
[Brittany Renner]: No, I totally appreciate that. And I mean, it’s nice when those tables turn and you just live in your truth and you get to drop your metaphorical nuts on people’s foreheads. I mean, this is what I live for. I live for this. So yeah, it is definitely such an amazing opportunity. I’m excited.
You are the face of the new Krystal’s Side Chik campaign. What attracted you to becoming the face of Krystal?
For me, I’m all about living in truth. So I have been a side chick in the past. I’ve spoken about it openly in my book and in videos that I’ve done. And I felt like it was a way for me to own my truth and poke fun at it in a way as well.
And it was a big, fuck you to everybody that thinks I should play the shame game of being down about decisions I’ve made. I really think that I have grown in front of people, I’ve gone through things publicly, I’ve grown publicly, I’m learning things every day publicly. So I think for me it was just cool to show, you should totally own your truth. Again, the jokes on you, da, da, shh, here I am still, I still stand here and the internet, will never be able to defeat me. So I just feel like it is just, again, it’s another way to show I can always…
If anyone’s going to profit off my pain, motherfuckers, it’s going to be me. Nobody, me.
Yeah, it’s fun, food and culture. So I couldn’t turn this away. It was too funny for me. It’s my level of trolling that I’m talking about. I love this.
How much fun did you have shooting the campaign?
I think some of the lines were definitely really funny. One of them was, “The only side chick I know that looks better than me is this right here.” So it was just funny stuff like that where like I said, I thought it was just genius with the marketing and I loved how edgy it was. So it was hilarious shooting it. So after it would be like, “Okay, scene.” I would laugh a little bit because it was just so funny to me.
Krystal enters the chicken sandwich game against some stiff competition in Popeyes, Wingstop, and plenty of others. What would you have to say to your fierce competitors?
I would say put your money where your mouth is, okay. Step up the marketing because we’re going to… Listen, the reality is too is this culture is what gets things moving. So they are going to have no choice but to involve the culture, 2Chainz is a big part of this, Ray J is involved as well. So we’re awesome table shakers in our own. So you all going to have to put your money while your mouth is, step your marketing game up and let’s go. Let’s see who really is standing on what they’re about. So I think for me, I think even too, the whole objective with the campaign is, “Hey, you don’t have to cut out your favs, who you’ve been loyal to. Give us a try. Because you know what? You try once baby, you might be hooked.” So we just need one chance. So I think it’s a really great high quality sandwich and we’ll see. Get ready, man. We are locked and loaded, let’s go.
If you can make a custom menu for Krystal’s along with the Side Chik Sandwich, what would you have for your combo meal?
Oh man, that’s a good question, I never thought about that. What I would want in a combo meal? I mean I don’t want to be typical and say fries, but I think for my drink though, it would probably be something like milkshake or frosted or something frozen, I love frozen drinks. So I would probably do honestly the Classic… Oh yeah… No, I would do the Classic, I like the chicken sandwiches, so I would probably just do the Classic, fries and then a frozen drink of some sort, or even an icy. So I don’t know, that’s kind of maybe, I don’t know. That’s on the spot. I never thought about that.
How’d it feel when you found out Ray J and 2Chainz were also involved and considered you as being the face?
I was really honored because again, they’re both table shakers in their own right and I feel like I’m amongst good company and it’s really cool to be in this position where I just tell the truth. I just say how I feel. And the fact that, that’s like its own lane to me is still very fascinating. But I just, again, I care, but I don’t care about the shit that doesn’t deserve my cares. Okay. So I don’t know, I was really honored and I just met 2Chainz today, he was really nice. So I’m just, “Oh my god, this is real. There is real money behind this. We’re coming full steam ahead.” So it was a surreal moment. It was really cool, especially to do something like this. This is my first commercial campaign and they’re taking my virginity. I’m experienced now, I’m a professional. Yesterday’s surprise, not today’s surprise.
MORE: Kodak Black Shoots His Shot at Brittany Renner During Rolling Loud Interview
Like I mentioned before, is there any advice that you would give to others going through something and turning a negative into something positive?
I go back to this basic thing, this simple thing that I really live by is, owning your truth.
And each of us are a very unique piece to this puzzle. And I know for a long time myself, I judged, “Why do I think this way? Why am I like this? Why can’t I just be more basic? Why am I so complex?” And the reality is we each are here to deliver our message. And when we try to alter into what people try to box us as, we take away from what makes us special.
So that’s why I think even doing this campaign is like, “No, I’ve gone through a lot of shit in my life and I own it and I wear it proudly. I have war wounds to show that I’ve showed up and I fought.” So I think that’s why owning your truth, whatever that is, I love Harry Potter, I watch Disney movies, I like to stand on tables and twerk, I will cuss anybody out and say, “Fuck you, don’t care.”
I’m a whore and I can be a housewife. I don’t have to choose. It’s just like, I don’t have to choose. I’m all of these amazing… All these different contrasting, polarizing things, and that’s what makes me special, and that’s what makes all of us special, when we’re just ourselves. So tell the truth, live your truth, accept your truth because it literally will set you free.
Now living in your truth, I got to ask you, what do you think of the Side Chik Sandwich?
It’s awesome. No, I love chicken sandwiches, so I really liked it when we were shooting the commercial. It’s funny because they have a spit bucket so after you take a bite you’re supposed to spit it out. And the first few times I was like, “I actually don’t want to spit this out, I want to keep eating.” And they’re like, “You’re going to do this a few more times. You might want to start spitting it out.” But it was good as fuck, so I really enjoyed it. I love it. Like I said, give it a try and see.
Brittany, you are enjoying a Side Chik Sandwich. What 2Chainz song is playing while you’re enjoying your Side Chik Sandwich?
I would definitely have to say… It was so funny because he was just singing but, “It’s a vibe. You want to vibe?” Okay, because we vibing baby, it’s a vibe over here.
