KFC Wants You to Believe in the Chicken

Tonight, the nation will be treated to the kick-off of KFC’s biggest-ever UK brand campaign: Believe in Chicken. The launch film will premiere at the Euros opening match, Germany v Scotland, from 20:00 on ITV1, with a prime 90” slot. 

Kate Wall, marketing director at KFC said, "We believe wholeheartedly in chicken at KFC. It’s our core obsession always has been and always will be. This campaign is pushing the importance of this as our number one belief and celebrating this in an irreverently witty way”. 

The film will give KFC followers, new and old, something to believe in. We’ll be taking viewers on a journey inspired by the ever-so-familiar mad world of today. It plays on the fact that life around us has become more unreliable, false, and untrustworthy than ever. From AI to an unpredictable economy, from extreme weather to baffling fashion, from online dating profiles to the amount of crisps you get in a packet, this new campaign aims to offer fans something to believe in… Chicken.

Directed by Vedran Rupic via Business Club, the plot unfolds, unpacking these trends, to a hypnotic beat. The ad's soundtrack merges futuristic vibes with classical Gregorian Chant, creating a dramatic tone. Together with the choreography, it constantly builds emotional tension. Choreographed by Sven Lesoria (who also stars), the collective movement draws from the hero chicken's hypnotic head bob and staggering forward strides, culminating in everyone joining the circle to Believe in Chicken.

Director, Vedran Rupic, said, “From the start, I had a really good feeling about this campaign. It's bold, clear and simple. The viewer should feel like they wanna move after seeing this. And if not, they should be: literally just vibing. To me, this was one of those inside-out ideas, where I'm never solving narrative problems, or patching ideas together. The core idea coupled with a big musical component meant I had everything I needed to make it interesting. This is the type of job in one's life that has one thinking: Why am I not only doing jobs like this?”

After the launch, the film will be shown on TV, cinema, BVOD, online video, and social platforms. 

In parallel, KFC will dominate outdoor space nationwide on high-impact placements, including a range of banners, large-format screens, buses, and the iconic Piccadilly Lights. Believe messaging in snappy headline format will be accompanied by shots of iconic KFC favourites. As the summer progresses, the out-of-home activity will develop to be tailored to the format. 

Martin Rose, executive creative director at Mother commented, “Believe in Chicken isn't just a tagline; it embodies the sentiment shared by everyone who touches KFC. Having one simple truth at the core of what you do makes you really powerful. You get to stand up and stand out. While our competitors may dabble in chicken (we have no beef with that), we're simply restoring chicken to its rightful place, the top.”

Chris Gallery, partner at Mother added, “KFC and Mother have always been each other's biggest believers. Great work comes from partnerships like this. We tried to produce something that makes everyone else believe too.” 

The launch follows a week of unbranded activity, designed to ignite conversations in Believe with a (perfectly seasoned) trail of breadcrumbs leading to the launch of today’s Believe in Chicken. 

The cryptic, chin-scratching teasers aim to get the conversation started in a way that could only come from the true icon of chicken: KFC Kate Wall, marketing director at KFC commented, “Leading up to our biggest ever brand campaign, we’re hoping to capture the power of intrigue. The unbranded activity - which has the signature KFC tone - is designed to spark conversation, especially amongst the KFC fans.” 

Nationwide outdoor media will feature intriguing messages like 'trust in herbs, believe in spices' and 'believe in the original' alongside striking iconography in the brand’s signature red and black palette. Across London, advans will draw attention to various sites that we simply can’t believe in anymore, whilst guiding us back to something real, something tangible, something… crispy. With the campaign launching at the height of election season, we’re sure to make waves. 

At Gatwick Airport, returning holidaymakers to the UK will see a 260ft chicken under the flight path as they land. Once through customs, they will get a warm welcome in the arrivals hall from fellow Believers guiding them to chicken. 

All elements link to a dedicated microsite where true believers in chicken can win limited edition KFC merch; including The Believers Ring, The Believers Halo, and the exclusive Believers Deal.