KFC Calls in Ghost Hunters

In China, KFC had been targeting gamers for years and was a core focus for brand marketing, but as other companies in the country hopped into the gaming space. KFC needed to level up its gamer-focused marketing and stand out from other brands. The brand saw an opportunity to help bring ghost hunting to life with the popular mobile game, Onmyoji.

Rather than working with the developers Onmyoji to create advertisements, they turned 5,000 of their restaurants into in-game battlegrounds where users could collect rare and limited-edition ghosts. They went a step further and integrated the game into the physical locations, including art from the game featured in restaurants, stylized buckets, and an AR mechanic. KFC and Onmyoji saw:

• 3 million KFC buckets sold in 3 days

• Theme restaurants saw a 400% increase in traffic

• Onmyoji saw a 17% increase in new users & a 7% uplift in daily active users

Key Takeaways

• Bringing games to life

  • Find ways to bring the games people love out of the digital world into the physical, whether it’s using limited-time products, design changes, or technology such as AR mechanics. Most gamers want to see the games they love brought to life!

• Brand/Developer partnerships can help both parties

  • KFC and Onmyoji showcased how a brand and developer working together can benefit both parties, with new audiences engaging in both the brand’s products as well as trying out the game.

• Omnichannel approach

  • Look to take an omnichannel approach and bring your gaming activations into all space. While KFC saw 3 million buckets sold, they also saw the hashtag #KFCxOnmyoji viewed over 100 million times on social media.

*DISCLAIMER: This case studies our Marketing to Gamers interpretations of case studies that are publicly available and/or have been shared with permission from the involved parties.