KFC brings boss mode to the CBD with smoking street strut

KFC Singapore is turning up the heat with the launch of its new limited-time Ultimate Smokey Burger, an “upgraded” version of its iconic Zinger designed to give consumers a small but satisfying win in the middle of their day.

Dubbed the “Boss mode Zinger,” the burger is at the heart of KFC’s latest campaign, "Give zero clucks", which positions the burger as a bold, indulgent pick-me-up for everyday hustlers who need a boost of swagger, confidence and flavour.

To bring that energy to life, KFC staged a shoot in Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD) where it had talent strutting through the streets during peak lunch hours, carrying assertive placards that channeled the unapologetic attitude of the burger. But what looked spontaneous was actually a planned content capture to power the brand’s social campaign.

Don't miss: Guerilla marketing stunts certainly capture attention, but do they drive conversion

The concept was developed by KFC Singapore’s creative agency R/GA, in collaboration with Arena Media to extend the idea across social channels. 

In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Arena Media, one of the agencies behind the campaign, said the shoot aimed to document genuine reactions. "It was less about spectacle, more about capturing attitude and vibe to fuel our social content," said the agency. 

"We wanted to create more than a product push – this is about owning your own mini win, especially when real-life boss moments often live only in our heads. This burger gives you the flavour, flair, and fuel to take that power back," it added. 

The creative idea taps into a universal fantasy of bold “boss moments” that live in most people's heads whether that's clapping back in meetings, walking out with flair, or quitting with a mic drop. 

"The Ultimate smokey burger is the boss-level Zinger. Loaded, loud and bold. It’s made for anyone who needs a break from pretending to toe the line. While most 'boss moments' in life are just imaginary in our head, this burger is a real one. So, we flipped the script: instead of chasing those fantasy wins, we turned the act of eating this burger into your actual boss moment. It’s a clapback to reality," said Reagan Raj, creative director at R/GA, leading the efforts on KFC. 

Raj added that the agency wanted people to "lean into their zero clucks energy, tune out the bs and bite back at the circumstance". 

Meanwhile, Arena Media said that the stunt garnered curiosity and interest from passersby who questioned if the burger was a KFC product.  “That spontaneous recognition told us the boss energy was already doing its job — cutting through the noise and making people curious and hungry,” said Arena Media. 

While the shoot itself wasn’t a traditional stunt, the campaign’s content will be rolled out across TikTok and Instagram from 6 June 2025, as part of a wider promotional push running until 24 June, or while stocks last. 

Street activations are becoming more and more popular in Singapore in recent years. Last month, Singapore Art Museum was spotted cruising down Orchard Road to promote artist Herman Chong's latest exhibition. The activation saw a giant postcard of a cat on the prowl with the postcard available for purchase at a pop-up store within the exhibition. 

Last year, fashion and lifestyle eCommerce platform ZALORA painted the town red with people dressed in bright red spandex taking to the streets of Singapore to promote its deals. The people walked around iconic locations such as Orchard Road, the Merlion, Raffles Place and more. 

In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTVE, experts agreed that while guerilla marketing stunts are effective at grabbing attention and creating social buzz, it rarely drives meaningful conversions without deeper integration and a clear value proposition. To make guerilla marketing stunts more effective at driving conversions experts suggest three key improvements: bridge the offline to online gap, tie the message to the medium and finally, scale and integrate.

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