In hospitals throughout Thailand a superstition, the KFC Fried Chicken Curse, persists. Healthcare workers fear ordering KFC during a shift believing it will inevitably lead to an overwhelming influx of patients. Some even say it’s because the holy spirits love KFC so much that they bring all the cases with them.

On Thai Doctor’s Day this year, Wolf BBK and KFC Thailand found a solution to break the curse and allow healthcare workers to order KFC without worry. Their special edition packaging, the This Is Not KFC collection featured phrases such as, “This does not contain Fried Chicken,” or “No WingZ Zabb inside,” inspired by traditional Thai methods to dispel curses. For the first time, healthcare providers could enjoy KFC Fried Chicken worry-free.

“This is NOT KFC” generated over 81,972,514 organic engagements in three days, a 200% increase in transactions at a branch near a hospital.

Wolf BBK co-founder & CCO, Torsak Chuenprapar, and ECD, Pathida Akkarajindanon shared the story behind a campaign that defied brand’s traditional holy cows to give KFC a 26% sales increase.

The Stable: What was the brief that led to This is NOT KFC? What was the aim of the campaign?

Pathida Akkarajindanon: It actually started from a normal promotion brief. While we were discussing different angles, we noticed the promotion date fell on Thai Doctors’ National Day. That led us to a very unique local myth about KFC. Many doctors believe KFC is a jinx during their shifts, so they avoid eating it in hospitals. That insight was too interesting to ignore. The idea started from wanting doctors to enjoy the promotion, but we realised it had the potential to become a proper campaign on its own. Not just a promo, but a cultural moment that plays with this funny superstition and turns it into something positive.

The Stable: Most brands are attached to their branding. How did you convince KFC to alter its packaging and approve the idea?

Pathida Akkarajindanon: The client actually loved the idea from the start. The hesitation was more on the budget side because this originally came from a simple promotion brief. But we felt this was the perfect timing. The myth is directly tied to our brand, so if we don’t address it, nobody else can. And if we wait, the moment is gone.

We also reminded them of something very true to KFC. The brand serves everyone, and that includes very specific sub-cultural groups like medical professionals on duty. By showing that we care about them, we reinforce the belief that nothing should stop anyone from enjoying KFC. And on a practical level, it opened the door to a group of consumers we had never reached properly before, especially around hospital areas. If a simple superstition is what gets in the way, then it makes sense for us to remove that barrier.

There were also discussions about sensitivity. We asked ourselves if this curse-dispel method would actually work, because nobody could guarantee the reaction. In the end, we decided to focus on our intention. We wanted to send something positive to medical professionals and give them a light moment on their day. If we can make them smile on Doctors’ National Day as a small thank you for their sacrifice and a whole year of long, tiring shifts, then it is worth doing.

And about the packaging, even though we removed the logo, the way we phrased it followed a very Thai curse-dispel method. When you say, “This is NOT KFC”, people instantly know it is KFC. It works exactly like how Thai people say the opposite to reverse bad luck. It becomes louder than the actual branding. The KFC Thailand team understood this perfectly, so full credit to them for believing in the idea and making it happen.

The Stable: This is a campaign for an international brand based entirely on local insight. What is the power of local understanding?

Pathida Akkarajindanon: KFC Thailand has always embraced local insight, and that aligns perfectly with us as an agency because we truly believe in staying true to our market. For a global brand to go fully local, it doesn’t just make the work resonate. It also shows respect to the people you are talking to.

From a global point of view, hyper-local work can go either way. Sometimes it gets lost in translation, but sometimes it becomes very fresh because it is authentic and different from what the world usually sees. That uniqueness can make the work stand out.

But for us, the most important thing is to be true to the market. When an idea comes from something real and local, it has a stronger chance of becoming universal in its own way.

The Stable: You won an impressive collection of MAD STARS awards for KFC with Uncle KFC’s Rice Bowl and This is Not KFC? What do you feel is behind the two campaigns’ success?

Torsak Chuenprapar: The key factor behind both campaigns is our deep understanding of local culture. That’s always the starting point for our team. And of course, the world of eating fried chicken shouldn’t feel serious, it should feel fun. That’s why both ideas are filled with playfulness and a very Thai sense of humour.

But what truly sits underneath all that local insight and fun is this: both ideas were built on real KPIs that matter to the client. They drove sales and genuinely helped the brand. And I think that’s crucial today if you want to win awards. Juries can tell instantly whether a piece of work is just “fresh” for the sake of being fresh, or if it actually moves the brand forward. Ours did both.

The Stable: How important are your MAD STARS wins to the agency? What do they mean to you?

Torsak Chuenprapar: MAD STARS is a global award show, and the jury is made up of some of the very best people in our industry. So winning here is always something we’re proud of. For the agency, these wins have a direct impact on our business, they strengthen our clients’ confidence in us and attract new ones who want to work with Wolf.

For me personally, this year is special. It’s my first time attending the festival in Busan, and to win Grand Prix of the Year on my first visit makes it even more exciting. I’m genuinely happy for the Wolf team and for our client, KFC. Moments like this remind us why we push so hard for the work.