KFC Singapore embraces extra fingers and distorted hands in cheeky AI campaign

KFC Singapore has unveiled a bold and cheeky campaign that turns one of artificial intelligence's (AI) quirk - the infamous finger glitch - into a playful brand moment. For all its capabilities, AI is known to still struggle with generating human hands with images featuring extra fingers and bizarre hand formations.

While most see this as a flaw, KFC Singapore saw this as an opportunity to embrace the imperfection and give its legendary tagline "It's finger lickin' good" a fresh spin, proving that sometimes, an extra finger two isn't such a bad thing. 

Launching just ahead of April Fool’s Day, the campaign playfully leans into AI’s well-documented struggles with rendering fingers. It features AI generated visuals across OOH placements, MRT stations, and 26 KFC stores nationwide in Singapore. The visuals see people eating at KFC and licking their fingers. However, they all have extra fingers. 

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According to a statement seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, the production process involved refining prompts and generating numerous visuals to maintain the distinct KFC branding identity. The campaign was executed in collaboration with Havas Malaysia, which handled the creative execution, while Havas Media Singapore managed the strategic media placements. This collaboration sought to combine technological, creative, and media expertise to amplify the campaign’s reach and effectiveness.

Additionally, the campaign is a testament to KFC's bold and innovative approach to marketing, using emerging technology in an unconventional way to reinforce the brand's promise among Singaporeans, said the statement. 

“What if AI’s inability to get fingers right actually worked in our favour? After all, more fingers mean more extra 'finger lickin’ moments. This campaign is a testament to how bold creativity and smart media strategy can come together to make technology work for the brand in a completely unexpected way," said Jaslyn Lam, marketing lead at KFC Singapore.

“We took the standing joke of generative AI—the finger glitch—and turned it into a cheeky campaign that is truly KFC. By embracing AI’s imperfections, we gave the brand’s legendary tagline ‘It’s finger lickin’ good’ an unexpected and refreshing twist,” added Donevan Chew, chief creative officer at Havas Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Kelvin Goh, senior media director at Havas Media Singapore said "This campaign is a brilliant example of creativity and media working hand in hand. By leveraging high-impact placements in key transit and retail locations, we ensured that KFC’s message would be unmissable for Singaporeans, turning an online AI conversation into a real-world, talk-of-the-town moment." 

This isn't KFC's first time at leveraging new technology. Earlier in November last year, KFC Singapore worked with its partners R/GA to add a new sonic seasoning to its original recipe of 11 herbs and spices. The brand recreated the classic Jingle Bells song into a tune that is “scientifically proven” to elevate consumers’ dining experience. 

The sonic sounds were created with the help of consumer neuroscientist Professor Gemma Calvert from Nanyang Technological University and materialised with musicians. Its low frequency bass-heavy and resonant tones amplify the umami and richness while sharp and high frequency sounds such as bells, chimes or staccato notes heightens the sense of crispiness.

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