Fried Chicken Incense Sticks
A new twist on a ritual incense stick to connect with whole family
We helped KFC celebrate Chinese New Year with the “Fried Chicken Incense Sticks”, creating their new trending item specially created for Thai-Chinese sisters and brothers in Thailand. Helping them pay homage to the Chinese gods and their late ancestors and well-blessed throughout the Rabbit year and going forward.
The groundbreaking item attracted Gen Z to enjoy the tradition while having a moment to amaze the family with the all enticing familiar fragrance and probably a new pleasant moments for the God and Goddess up in heaven.
KFC aims to strengthen our relationship with Gen Z through the culture of Thai Chinese families and Chinese New Year is the best time for Gen Z and their family celebrate together. The creative “Fried Chicken Incense Sticks” was launched in collaboration with Wunderman Thompson Thailand, a partner who continue to find inspiring new ways to build relationships between brands and the new generation who are always looking for novelty and uniqueness.
Chinese New Year is one of the biggest festivals in Thailand. It's time for family reunion and observing rituals practiced for generations but it has lost connection with the young generation. They have their own ways to celebrate Chinese New Year. Our mission is to bring the family together this Chinese New Year 2023, just like our fried chickens always do.
KFC is known for its fried chicken, which family can join and open bucket together.
However, when it comes to Chinese New Year, people usually look for the chicken to practice the ritual it should be boiled chicken as the traditional way never fried chicken before.
Meanwhile, the young generation, they already lost connection with inherit rituals and looking for something new and exciting to celebrate Chinese New Year.
To turn this into our chance, we need to be a solution for connecting the family together in a finger lickin’ good way.
In order to succeed, we cannot simply educate them in the traditional way that older generations have always done.
Our core strategy is to hijack the moment during Chinese New Year and let the young generation engage by themselves
By giving incense sticks, a ritual essential item for prayers to connect with ancestors, a finger-lickin' good twist. KFC fried chicken incense sticks were crafted for craving, with a texture inspired by the crispy skin and full aroma of KFC's Original Recipe. They were available only on KFC's social platform. The idea sparked up debate not just in Thailand but across Asia.
People start using KFC for the ritual
Sales went up 161% compared to last Chinese New Year.
The creation of “ Fried Chicken Incense” was a huge challenge. The team had to extract the original fried chicken smell to get the same classic smell as KFC fried chicken once the incenses are lit to pay respect to the holy. After the campaign was launched on the 9 January 2023 on KFC Facebook, tremendous responses were received from the netizens who would like to take home with these special items along with the sparking conversations among the target relating to Thai-Chinese culture and tradition via “Fried Chicken Incense” by KFC.