Dentsu Creative: KFC Reinvents Socializing with a Virtual Restaurant in China

Challenge: Adapting to Gen Z’s Evolving Habits

KFC, a powerhouse in China with over 9,000 stores, faced a decline in foot traffic as young consumers (a key audience) shifted towards virtual socializing. By 2022, their business performance had dropped 16%. Gen Z spends more time with friends in online gaming environments, and their focus on virtual experiences presented a challenge.

Solution: KFC Re:Store – A Virtual Hangout for Young Consumers

DENTSU CREATIVE China tackled this challenge with a groundbreaking solution: KFC Re:Store, a virtual restaurant experience on China’s popular youth platform QQ. The store, built with Unreal Engine 4, seamlessly blends traditional Chinese aesthetics with cutting-edge technology.

Engaging Features & Borderless Commerce

KFC Re:Store offers a unique virtual experience. Users design personalized avatars, purchase virtual merchandise, decorate their own virtual spaces, and even interact with a virtual Colonel Sanders (the first non-player character on QQ). This immersive environment has driven high engagement:

🔥 850 million chats with Colonel Sanders in just five weeks.
🔥 180 million virtual KFC meals “sold” in the same timeframe.

But the innovation goes a step further. KFC Re:Store pioneers a “borderless commerce” approach. Users can order real-world KFC meals directly within the virtual store, paving the way for a new revenue stream and a groundbreaking commercial model for brands on QQ.

1M

Visitors on QQ, China’s most popular platform

0.3B

Interactions on the platform

1M

Burgers sold in one week

Brand

KFC

Categories

Food, Meta

Credits

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Brand

KFC

Categories

Food, Meta

Credits

Share

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