2026 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

KFC set out to tap into the explosive growth of Formula 1 without playing the traditional sponsorship game. The challenge was standing out in one of the most cluttered, logo-saturated sporting environments in the world while remaining authentic to F1 culture and unmistakably KFC. Beyond awareness, the work needed to drive real business impact, from app downloads to in-store sales.

Rather than buying space in F1, they looked for places where KFC already belonged. Every F1 track features chicanes – tight sequences of corners marked by bold red and white stripes. Those stripes are visually identical to KFC’s iconic bucket. The agency also identified another cultural overlap: “Box, box,” one of the most famous calls in racing, sounded like it was made for KFC’s box meals. These simple but authentic overlaps became the foundation of a campaign that turned F1 signals into KFC signals.

The campaign launched at the Canadian Grand Prix with a race-weekend takeover of Montreal. The red and white stripes of the KFC bucket were transformed into striking out-of-home executions across the city. At the track itself, Colonel Sanders’ face was spray-painted directly onto the chicanes, making KFC impossible to miss for fans in attendance and viewers watching on TV and online.

When the idea proved powerful, KFC took another lap. To promote F1: The Movie, the brand partnered with Warner Bros. and introduced the KFC Box Box Meal: buy one F1-branded box of fried chicken, get a second free. The offer was supported by F1-inspired packaging, OOH, online video, and in-store communications, inviting fans to make their own pit stop at KFC. Instead of logo placement, KFC embedded itself directly into the language, visuals, and rituals of the sport.

The work required close coordination across multiple partners, including race-week stakeholders, city approvals, and a global film studio, all under tight timelines and high scrutiny. Balancing creative boldness with the operational realities of a live global sporting event demanded trust, flexibility, and fast decision-making across every team involved.

The campaign made KFC the number one talked-about QSR during F1 week, with brand mentions up 361 percent. App downloads increased 21 percent, strengthening KFC’s digital ecosystem. Most importantly, sales surged 51 percent versus the same week the year prior, proving the work drove both cultural relevance and commercial results.

Credits

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