From Chicken To Cult: KFC's Colourful Comeback

Monica Silic is on a holy mission, but there are no candles, chapels or crusades – there is only chicken. And KFC’s latest ad has elevated the tasty bird to its rightful status.

“Our mission was simple: not just to build the UK’s most iconic chicken brand, but to transcend that and become one of the most iconic brands, period,” she explains, clad in an on-brand red suit and joined by Mother ECD Martin Rose at Advertising Week Europe 2025.

Her bold approach has not been plucked out of thin air either. Growing up in South Africa, Silic had artistic aspirations but, following her father's advice, followed a more traditional path and studied finance and economics at university. Marketing meant she could combine her capabilities with numbers and her artistic flair.

Her appreciation for creativity is apparent in her continued work with Mother and, in particular, in both parts of the surreal ‘Believe’ campaign. The first shows a crowd of thumping dancers celebrating a giant AI chicken, the second features the discovery of a magical egg and a lake filled with gravy.

The playful ad was inspired by the fact the brand was facing a difficult time (according to YouGov’s metric the perceived value of the quick service restaurant sector fell from 8.9 points in 2020 to just 3.8 in January 2024).

But it is also a clever take on a post-truth world that resonates with Gen Z audiences: “We’re not trying to solve the world’s problems, but we are trying to bring some lightness and entertainment to the mad world,” explains Silic.

'These guys are really obsessed with chicken'

The idea came about because, in a market where they faced an array of new challengers, they needed to convert younger customers and help others maintain their faith in the brand. “Everyone wants a piece of the fried chicken category… it feels like every week there’s someone new arriving and going after the same category,” Silic says.

Rose relays the creepy story of how the concept of a cult was revealed to him by the marketing team. "I walked into the building, and suddenly I heard this insane, sort of low hum that turned into chanting from the middle of the office. It got louder and louder, to crazy levels of chanting. Eventually, everyone came out of the room sweating. These guys are so passionate about their brand, I’ve never seen anything like it—they're obsessed." Rose reveals. . “Everyone understands what the mission is. It has a clear strategy. It has roots from the brand and we are developing that.”

The inclusion and approval of franchisees were also crucial in the work’s development, helping to ensure it was a true expression of the business’s identity. “'Believe In Chicken' captured the spirit and energy of the people who work at KFC – that obsessive, passionate nature. And when people visit our business and see that reflected back, they get really excited,” Silic says.

Rose concurs, “ I came into it knowing the whole business is galvanised, which is an amazing thing.”

‘Polarising is fine, being ignorable isn’t’

When the second came out, it received backlash – with some quarters describing it as mocking baptism. This proved a nerve-racking experience for the marketers, having been so sure about such unconventional work – but both Mother and KFC still trust that it will still pay off.

“If you go on YouTube and start reading the comments, you can go down a wormhole. I want to be a responsible brand custodian. That’s where you have to zoom out – if you actually look at all of our brand health metrics since we launched this work last year, we’ve hit our peak, highest ever brand scores,” Silic explains.

Throughout the process, the relationship between client and agency has been critical – they have a shared WhatsApp group where every week they wait to see the sales results and metrics. “Having that space together is super important – it keeps everyone aligned, focused and committed to making the work as impactful as it can be,” Silic adds. 

More crucial is the strength of Mother and KFC’s faith in the unique world they have built. “There’s elevens on all the trees because we use eleven herbs and spices. The clams are shaped like chicken drumsticks. It is our own word,” emphasises Rose.

And it’s this focus on putting creativity at the centre of the brand that encapsulates why the ad is proving so impactful. As Rose puts it: “Polarising is fine. What’s dangerous is being ignorable and right now there is a lot of work that is ignorable because brands are trying to please everyone. But this campaign intentionally generates opinions, whether they’re positive or negative.”