KFC Thailand turns Colonel Sanders into Uncle KFC - rice bowl wins MAD STARS Grand Prix

For more than 40 years KFC has been a leader in Thailand, yet its Western fried chicken still reads as a special treat rather than an everyday meal in a country where cheap, good food is everywhere. In Thai food culture, beloved local shops are spoken of as family — Jeh Faii (Sister Faii), Yai Puad (Grandma Puad), Loong Rong (Uncle Rong) — and that emotional register is exactly where KFC wanted to sit.

Wolf BKK's 'Uncle KFC's Rice Bowl' (published August 2024) recast Colonel Sanders as 'Loong KFC': a lovable, slightly awkward neighbourhood uncle who sells rice bowls. The five-minute film plays the classic Thai couple's dilemma — 'Anything. It's up to you', which never truly means anything — and resolves it with Uncle KFC, blending satire of government bureaucracy, old-school slapstick and a harmless soft plastic tube.

The point was perception, not discounting: put rice, the staple of Thai meals, at the centre of the product and make the brand feel like a familiar local comfort-food shop rather than a distant luxury. The bowl launched with a promotional price, but the creative engine was the persona.

At MAD STARS 2025 the film took the Grand Prix of the Year in Product & Service, plus Gold (Film Stars) and Crystal (Branded Entertainment). It also collected an ADFEST Gold Lotus, The One Show Gold, a Clio Gold, a D&AD Graphite Pencil and a London International Awards Grand LIA. Alex Abrantes, CCO North America at Iris Worldwide, called it 'a pertinent insight brought to life in a smart, funny, and entertaining way'.