KFC buckets break ice for multi-ethnic Malaysians

Just how many pieces of fried chicken must be consumed for strangers to break the ice? Not that many when conversation gets going, as shown in a KFC Malaysia social experiment.

This campaign by Naga DDB Tribal, released to celebrate Independence Day and the formation of the Malaysian Federation on September 16, draws from the generally held concern that the heterogeneous society is fractious, with its multi-ethnic citizens living separate lives.

Another National Day campaign by Naga DDB Tribal for telco brand Digi, titled 'We stand united', goes a step further by showing a montage of diverse Malaysians of different ilks and creeds.

Campaign's view: While it is only contingent upon Malaysians to understand the complexity in the racial makeup of the country's citizenry, this writer is slightly relieved that both campaigns do not go down the  "all races can live harmoniously under the same roof" path, given the context of fraught racial relations over the past year. And while social experiments seemingly remain a go-to approach for brands to bring on their messages, the five-minute KFC ad does go on a tad too long.