KFC Thailand flips Chinese New Year traditions with crispy, collectible Whole Fried Chicken

Chinese New Year celebrations in Thailand have moved beyond tradition. This year, KFC Thailand redefines the festive season with a playful, immersive, and highly shareable campaign – blending cultural beliefs with modern lifestyle insights across products, experiences, and value.

Breaking the mold this Chinese New Year, KFC Thailand placed bold product innovation at the heart of its campaign with the first-ever launch of “Whole Fried Chicken” in Thailand. This limited-edition, exclusive offering – available only at KFC The Up Rama 3, One Bangkok, and CentralWorld – reimagined the traditional chicken for worship, served crispy from head to toe as a symbol of abundance and good fortune. Bringing KFC’s signature crunch to the festive table, the menu item was offered in limited pre-order quantities and quickly became a highly collectible highlight of the season, generating strong buzz among fans.

Suhayl Limbada, Chief Marketing Officer KFC Thailand, said: “At KFC, we don’t show up in culture as a spectator, we actively participate in culture. Chinese New Year is one of the most meaningful celebrations of the year, so we asked ourselves a simple question: how do we celebrate it in a way that’s unmistakably KFC? The answer was obvious—Whole Fried Chicken. This launch is bold, very limited, and a little bit crazy, because that’s what happens when you really listen to fans and push creativity to the edge. It’s our way of celebrating the festival not by following tradition, but by creating a new expression of it.”

Breaking away from traditional event formats, KFC took its Chinese New Year celebration through an experiential launch event, “KFC Crack the Crunch: Chinese New Year Festival,” marking the debut of its Whole Fried Chicken at Tiger God Shrine, Samyan—one of Bangkok’s most iconic spiritual destinations during the festive season. The brand transformed the shrine into a vibrant spiritual landmark for families, friends, and Gen Z audiences.

One of the event’s most playful highlights was the “Crunchy Chicken Firecrackers” – a creative sound experience that reimagined traditional firecrackers through KFC’s signature crunch. Swapping loud explosions for the irresistible sound of crispy fried chicken, the activation tapped into modern lifestyle insights around noise sensitivity while keeping the festive spirit alive, adding a fun, sensory twist that sparked both smiles and cravings.

The event also featured a giant Whole Fried Chicken Bucket installation, inspired by the exclusive Whole Fried Chicken menu. Designed as an oversized bucket filled with a whole crispy chicken, the installation delivered a bold visual expression of KFC’s signature crunch—so vivid it almost felt as if the aroma of fried chicken was in the air—instantly triggering cravings and quickly becoming a must-visit photo spot.

In addition, KFC amped up the festive spirit with a series of auspicious activities, inviting guests to write their wishes on lantern cards before trying their luck with a fun fortune-sticks experience. The activities quickly became crowd favorites, sparking smiles and buzz with their playful, spot-on fortunes. The celebration continued with delicious moments and opportunities to win exclusive KFC vouchers.

Breaking the value barrier this Chinese New Year, KFC Thailand introduced an incredibly auspicious and generous deal with the “Heavenly Chicken Bucket.” Starting at just 288 baht, down from the regular price of 511 baht, this value-packed bucket of KFC favorites allowed customers nationwide to continue celebrating prosperity and togetherness through February 16, 2026.

Through this campaign, KFC Thailand successfully demonstrated how cultural traditions can evolve without losing their meaning – boldly blending creativity, cultural relevance, and unmistakable brand personality. The result was a Chinese New Year celebration that felt fresh, shareable, and unmistakably KFC, capturing the hearts of modern consumers and igniting conversations far beyond the festive season.

Join KFC’s bold take on Chinese New Year celebrations and turn up the crunch this festive season! Follow the buzz with #KFC #ฉีกกร๊อบรับตรุษจีน, and stay updated on the latest news and exclusive promotions from KFC Thailand via Facebook @KFCThailand, TikTok @KFCThailand, Instagram @kfcthailand, and X @KFCThailand.