KFC turns love for nation into murals ahead of Malaysia Day

KFC Malaysia is flaunting the uniqueness of Malaysia with three separate murals that aim to express its love for the country it has called home for 47 years. Done in collaboration with Naga DDB Tribal and Sandakan-born graffiti artist Kenji Chai, the team worked to paint Malaysia's beauty through the eyes of KFC for its latest KFC Cara Kita campaign. Chai is known both locally and internationally for infusing cultural themes into his vibrant urban murals.

Three outlets were identified to paint on and the team meticulously worked on the details of each design. KFC's spokesperson told A+M that it wanted all three pieces to be "unmistakably Malaysian" and pay homage to the one-of-a-kind identity of its home.

The project took approximately six months to plan and 14 days to execute. The team at Naga DDB Tribal even played painters for a day, covering up the walls with a base paint before the masterpiece went on. Project Room productions was also present to capture the painting process. That said, KFC's priority was to ensure the safety of everyone working on this project amidst COVID-19, while also strictly abiding by regulatory standard operating procedures. 

"Our brand and store teams worked hard on ensuring Chai, the creative agency and the production crew had the freedom to work with minimal interference. Film director Fabian Wilfred Joseph and his team from Project Room Productions managed to capture the entire painting process," the spokesperson said.

She added that the editing of the footage, accompanied by a specially composed track, brought the story to life. Composer Ho Sek Hao has seamlessly fused a traditional Malaysian tune with contemporary beats to create a sense of patriotism, while still keeping it edgy and current.

The video celebrates the collision of culture between KFC and Malaysia. "Other than taking us behind the scenes to watch the artwork coming to life, it also puts a spotlight on the brand’s belief that every Malaysian is unique, and they shape the community and brand that we are today - KFC Cara Kita," the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, Naga DDB Tribal's creative directors Suryadipura Salleh, Jeremy Yeoh and Rachel Hoo said the idea behind the murals was to celebrate the collision of culture between KFC and Malaysia. "It is a tribute to the uniqueness of our colourful nation. One of the biggest challenges was ensuring that the diversity of Malaysia is well represented, and we worked closely together with Chai to ensure that the various multicultural elements in the design are infused together beautifully as a piece of art," the trio added.

Separately, KFC recently halted the promotion of its iconic slogan "Finger Lickin' Good" as it does not "feel quite right" this year, given the pandemic situation, the brand said. Although the company did not state how long it will pause advertising of its slogan, it said the slogan will be back "when the time is right".

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