Let's Watch 150 Humans Dance Like Chickens for KFC

Will KFC’s unfunky chicken dance catch on?

In the U.K., the fast-feeder just dropped a high-stepping campaign via Mother London that asks users to “Believe in Chicken.” The work skewers our tech-centric world as increasingly phony, portraying KFC fare as the stuff of battered and breaded reality.

There’s an almost religious fervor to the concept. Perhaps it captures the intense love KFC fans feel for the brand’s drumsticks and wings?

As for Sven Lesoria’s choreography, with performers shaking their imaginary tail-feathers through the streets, well … nobody saw that coming.

“KFC has been on a brand transformation journey, to become more modern and relevant to new generations of fans,” Mother ECD Martin Rose tells Muse. “In that time, the category caught up. So, wanting to stay a step ahead was the reason behind this next chapter. We know we have to constantly reinvent our brand to remain relevant.”

But … this feels weird for weird’s sake, kinda cultish?

“We want to entertain our fans and for them to be amused by this work,” Rose says. “We don’t tend to mirror our audience. Instead, we aim to add something new to the cultural conversation.”

Now, let’s cross the BTS highlights off our bucket list:

“Having a crowd dance around an animatronic chicken can be surprisingly complex,” Rose says. “First, there was the building of said animatronic chicken that could move with the realistic characteristics of an actual chicken. It took a lot of refinement to get the look we needed.”

During the shoot, “the ever-changing weather created challenges for continuity between takes. And having over 150 dancers from three different countries—the U.K., France, and Lithuania—presented some communication difficulties,” he says.

“Finding the correct balance of fresh and intriguing movement along with clear chicken-ness—without it ever becoming cheesy—was a constant watch out.”

We’d say it never becomes cheesy because it starts out that way. From the very first step. Those folks almost seem like zombies, mesmerized by the Colonel’s signature blend of herbs and spices,

Still, it’s memorable, and they certainly didn’t go the predictable route. The vibe’s self-aware, too. And a trippy, beak-boppin’ hen beats cats in knit hats any day.

Directed by Vedran Rupic or business club, the lead film will run across TV, cinema, BVOD online video and social platforms. 

There’s an OOH element, too: