KFC, Publicis Thailand + Bananas’ spicy ad goes viral after influencer Bankii has a fiery reaction
When Bankii, the famous food influencer, signed on to endorse the fiery new collaboration between KFC and Buldak hot sauce – KFC Buldak Dunked Wingz – everything seemed fine. That is, until he actually tasted them on set. The spice hit hard, and suddenly… he wanted out.
So what did KFC do? Together with Publicis Thailand, they decided to roll with it—airing the ad featuring Bankii’s real, unfiltered reaction, capturing the moment he realized just how intense the heat really was. His unexpected response only made the wings more intriguing, turning his struggle into a viral moment that had everyone curious to try them for themselves.
This incident ignited a fiery showdown between Bankii and KFC. He took to social media, publicly distancing himself from the ultra-spicy Buldak Wings, claiming they were too hot to handle and even threatening legal action if KFC continued airing his footage.
But KFC wasn’t backing down. Instead, they kept airing the ad across all major platforms, doubling down on the controversy. And to take things even further, KFC put up a giant billboard in a prime Bangkok location, showcasing Bankii’s so-called “endorsement”—capturing the exact moment he thought he could handle the wings… before realizing he absolutely couldn’t.
With the ad everywhere, Bankii had no choice but to address the public himself. He begged everyone not to believe what they saw in the KFC ads. He even went as far as commenting on every single online ad, warning people about the extreme spice level. To clear his name, he went on a popular talk show to tell his side of the story—only to make things even more viral.
What looked like a PR crisis was actually a bold marketing strategy—one that KFC and Bankii had secretly orchestrated from the start. By using reverse psychology, they turned Bankii’s ‘struggle’ into a social media spectacle, triggering people’s curiosity and fiery pride. The more he warned people not to eat it, the more they wanted to try it—proving that sometimes, the best way to sell something is to tell people not to buy it.
What seemed like a simple influencer endorsement quickly spiraled into the spiciest controversy of the year—a masterful PR stunt disguised as an endorsement gone wrong. Now, the only question is: Can YOU handle the heat?
