When the world’s only Arabic-speaking Korean comedian tries to rebrand “KFC” as “Korean Fried Chicken,” the kitchen fights back
KFC Arabia has launched its new Korean BBQ Twister with a campaign that asks: what happens when you give a bilingual comedian full creative control over your menu launch? Chaos. Delicious, culturally-aware chaos.
The brand partnered with Wonho Chung, the world’s only Arabic-speaking Korean comedian, to introduce Korean flavors to the region. But instead of playing it safe with a standard endorsement, they let Wonho become the overconfident “expert” who meddles with the recipe, rewrites the messaging, and even attempts to rebrand KFC as “Korean Fried Chicken.”
Spoiler: the kitchen staff lock him out.
The campaign, created with TBWA\RAAD, tackles a real paradox: how do you localize a global food trend without losing authenticity, or your brand identity? The answer: lean into the tension with humor and self-awareness.
“Korean flavors are dominating global food culture, but we didn’t want to just borrow the trend, we wanted to make it ours,” said Ahmed Arafa, Chief Marketing Officer at KFC Arabia. “Wonho gave us the perfect way to bridge cultures while staying unmistakably KFC.”
Derek Green, Chief Creative Officer at TBWA\RAAD, added: “Korean BBQ is everywhere, which means every brand will try to own it. We could’ve played it safe, but KFC doesn’t do safe. We handed creative control to a comedian who speaks both languages, literally and culturally, and let him go too far. That’s where the magic lives.”
The campaign rolls out across digital, social, and in-store, targeting young, trend-driven audiences and loyal Twister fans looking for their next go-to order.
Source: TBWA\RAAD
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