"Finger licking good" may well gain a whole new meaning for hardcore KFC fans in China who can now have Colonel Sanders on their palms 24/7, if they so wish. In a rather unprecedented move, KFC and Huawei are joining hands to mark their 30 years' presence in China with the release of a limited edition KFC Huawei 7 Plus model last Friday (July 7).

Speaking to Campaign Asia-Pacific, Steven Li, senior vice president of KFC marketing with Yum China, said the partnership between both brands is significant due to their shared history. Both brands traced its origins in China to the year 1987—KFC opened its first store at Tiananmen Square while Huawei had a rather humble beginning at Shenzhen Industrial Park with just 21,000 RMB in capital and 14 employees.

Huawei released a teaser post on its Weibo account days before the smartphone launch to announce its impending 'union" with KFC.

"Between KFC and Huawei, one came from abroad had and settled its roots in China. The other (Huawei) originated here and later expanded its footprint globally," said Li. "Both brands have witnessed the rise of China in these 30 years, and both embody the spirit of the times. Our collaboration is a homage to the era," said Li. He added that the launch of the phone is also an important phase in the brand's effort to fully digitalise the user experience and venture into into smart F&B and entertainment," he added.