How KFC became a festive favourite with an ‘anti-UGC’ campaign
Amid calls to introduce a festive turkey product, KFC cheekily defied its fans and drove leaps in awareness and sales.
KFC faced a familiar demand during the lead-up to Christmas 2023. As the public turned their attention to their favourite festive foods, the brand’s fans took to social media suggesting the fast food chain should swap its famous chicken for a turkey alternative.
Christmas is an important trading period for KFC, as people visit its restaurants to refuel during festive shopping trips, for social meet-ups and post-party snacking. In 2023, the brand had the aim of both driving sales of its limited-edition festive chicken burger, the Stuffing Stacker, while also establishing a clearer seasonal role for KFC in consumers’ minds.
Working with creative agency Mother London, the chain decided to flip the Christmas turkey hype on its head. A week-long teaser campaign hinted KFC would succumb to demands for ‘KFT’. Posters appeared showcasing fans’ social media requests for KFC turkey products, alongside the mysterious date ‘13.11.23’.
The teaser was in fact the set-up for a playful rug-pull. A TV advert to launch the Stuffing Stacker showed a cook lovingly creating the burger amid visualisations of the social media commentary. Then came the line: ‘We heard you, and we ignored you. We’re sticking with chicken’.
The approach of an ‘anti-UGC’ campaign subverted the idea the customer is always right and enabled KFC to assert its brand position at Christmas with characteristic confidence.
KFC’s advertising awareness during the festive period rose by 6.8%, while Christmas sales comfortably beat the unit sales forecast by 23%. The campaign returned £0.47 in pure profit for every £1 spent, helping KFC scoop the 2024 Marketing Week Award for Retail and Ecommerce.
