When Marketing Marries Taste: The KFC Case as a Model of Sensory Marketing
- Karly
- Jun 20
- 3 min read
What happens when the marketing universe merges with the food universe?
It creates something that goes beyond a simple advertisement: it creates an immersive, multisensory experience that directly involves the audience and transports them into a narrative world. This is exactly what KFC did for the launch of the third season of the acclaimed TV series Squid Game in collaboration with Netflix.
A tailor-made international operation
KFC launched a global campaign, but strategically localized for each country.
In Spain, for example, it launched “The Menu Game,” a live experiential event involving 456 participants and generating over 4 million euros in sales.
A record result that demonstrates how the union between entertainment and brand can concretely transform into ROI.
In Italy, however, KFC has chosen an even more spectacular path: a travelling tour in four cities where the brand had never been present (Varese, Latina, Pisa, Trapani).
The concept? A real "kidnapping" in Squid Game style.
Selected fans received mysterious invitations, inspired by the famous tickets from the series, complete with a number to call to participate in a top secret experience.
Brand experience: from teaser to live activation
The highlight was the tour with the Squid Game branded van, which took participants to restaurants in the major cities (Milan, Rome, Livorno, Palermo).
Here, among “guard” outfits, immersive scenography and a special edition menu with packaging and flavors inspired by the series, the experience reached its peak.
The glazed chicken with Korean sauce and the colorful buns were not just food, but real narrative elements.
This was all amplified by live content on social media, engaging fans and followers in real time.
The effect? A shower of UGC, interactions, dedicated hashtags #SquidGameKFC and sky-high FOMO.
This operation did not just present a new product: it built a universe, a participatory story in which consumers become protagonists.
The brand becomes media, communication becomes entertainment, and sales become a natural consequence of engagement.
Stranger Things & Oreo: When the Cookie Enters the Upside Down
Another virtuous example? Oreo and Netflix. In 2022, for the release of the fourth season of Stranger Things, the brand launched a limited edition with a blood-red heart, inspired by the famous universe of the series.
In addition to the cookie, Oreo created a full-length found footage short that perfectly complemented the product’s dark aesthetic.
The packaging was just the surface: the campaign’s soul was powerful, immersive, fan-driven branded storytelling.
The result was a boom in user-generated content, an increase in organic engagement, and a renewed positioning for Oreo among Gen Z and Millennials.
The limited edition sold out in a few days in many Indian cities, closing the circle between hype, storytelling and desirability.
A new paradigm: the consumer as co-author
Domino’s Pizza took a similar approach with Stranger Things, integrating iconic elements from the series into a campaign that combined technology, interactive packaging and gamification.
And then you have to ask yourself:
are we really just talking about food or are we witnessing the birth of a new way of experiencing brands?
These campaigns demonstrate how contemporary marketing can no longer be limited to “selling”, but must involve, entertain, tell and stimulate active participation. The goal is not only to generate conversions, but to build coherent worlds, transmedia experiences and loyal communities.
What about you? Are you still thinking about your next promotion or are you already shaping your next narrative universe?
If you are looking for a partner capable of creating authentic, engaging and perfectly calibrated brand experiences for your audience, we at Grey's Company are ready to work alongside you!
Contact us to transform your brand into a story that people will want to live, share and remember.
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