KFC put its UK&I team in charge of a global Marvel collaboration spanning 100 countries.
The campaign pairs the restaurant brand with Doctor Doom ahead of the Dec. 18 theatrical release of "Avengers: Doomsday."
It arrives with limited-time menu items, collectibles, branded packaging, and in-store activations.
Mother led the creative work, extending its relationship with KFC across the world.
The rollout also involved Disney's UK-based marketing and partnerships team, giving the launch a UK-led structure on both the brand and agency sides.
KFC UK&I team and Mother previously worked on the brand's Stranger Things collaboration.
KFC Global CEO Scott Mezvinsky said the partnership was its most expansive joint venture to date.
"We're not just teaming up with the most anticipated movie of the decade," Mezvinsky said in a press release.
"We're leaning into its biggest, baddest character, and delivering a menu worthy of the moment."
He added that the company wanted to make KFC the focus of a global cultural phenomenon.
Brands hiring agencies for global work can read the choice as a vote for track record, since this team had already put a Netflix show on a KFC menu.
The campaign will run across 100 countries but will not reach the U.S., India, or China.
KFC hasn't explained the three exclusions, which show brands plotting a global branding strategy exactly where a lead market's reach ends.
Mother Gives Doctor Doom the KFC Treatment
The campaign film opens over a devastated New York City, where Doctor Doom surveys the aftermath of his battle with the Avengers.
Almost every restaurant lies in ruins, except one KFC outlet.
The spot runs in 30- and 15-second versions, with adaptations for participating markets.
The menu extends the film's premise into restaurants with a Doom Burger, Doom Dripped Wings, Doom Loaded Fries, and limited-edition sauces.
Doom Cola sauce mixes caramelized cola with smoky barbecue notes.
Meanwhile, Smoky Green Mayo and green Doom Dust add the character's signature color to the food.
Five collectible figurines reimagine Colonel Sanders as different Marvel characters.
Customers in selected markets can receive one with a Doom menu purchase, while supplies last.
The packaging design also features Doctor Doom's mask against a dark, iron-riveted design.
Together, the food, collectibles, and store activations give the partnership several retail touchpoints.
Mother's appointment also gives the agency a significant global account win.
KFC selected Mother in 2017 after a review ended its 15-year relationship with BBH London.
The agency and KFC UK&I have also worked together on "Don't Crack," a YouTube game show featuring 30 superfans competing for a £50,000 prize.
The casting for this campaign drew 9.8 million QR scans, which turned into more than 50,000 applications for 30 spots.
Mother's run with KFC UK&I shows agency leaders how steady co-branding work in one market can put a shop in line for a client's global brief.
Agencies chasing this path should treat every regional campaign as a pitch to the brand's headquarters, where the bigger appointments get made.
3 Excluded Markets Account for 42% of KFC Sales
KFC's campaign reach raises a commercial question because its three excluded markets represent a substantial share of its business.
China accounted for 27% of KFC's 2025 system sales, while the U.S. contributed 13% and India 2%.
Combined, the three markets represented 42% of system sales, according to Yum! Brands' 2025 financial results.
Two of the three exclusions have visible explanations.
Yum China, a separately listed company, operates KFC in mainland China under an exclusive license from Yum! Brands.
It also runs its own KFC loyalty program, which topped 550 million members and drove about 61% of KFC's China system sales in 2025.
In the U.S., Jack in the Box launched its own "Avengers: Doomsday" Dipping Box on Nov. 5, complete with themed sauces and eight collectible magnets.
Brands scoping a co-branding deal across regions should first map which markets a licensee runs or a rival partner already holds.
Assess Market Value Before Setting Campaign Scope
Brands should compare regional sales contributions and growth rates before allocating campaign resources.
KFC opened 2,986 new restaurants across 105 markets in 2025, according to Yum! Brands' full-year results.
Give Regional Teams Room to Adapt Creative
Agencies should develop flexible campaign assets that local teams can adapt to regional products and customer preferences.
KFC's Doctor Doom campaign uses five collectible Colonel Sanders figurines, with availability varying by market.
Connect Marketing to Local Customer Behavior
Brands should give regional teams input into promotions and loyalty initiatives to reflect established customer habits.
Yum China's KFC delivery business accounted for approximately 48% of company sales in 2025, with delivery coverage reaching 92% of its stores.
KFC's regional numbers show that a 100-country brief only works when local teams can bend the brand strategy to how their customers buy.
Our Take: Who Should Lead a Global Campaign?
KFC UK&I and Mother came into the Doomsday brief with a "Stranger Things" tie-in and a YouTube game show already behind them.
We'd hand global creative to whichever market has run the strongest entertainment partnerships, which is exactly what KFC did.
Even a strong lead market can only steer the territories still open to the campaign.
KFC's map stops at China, where a licensee runs the brand, and in the U.S., where a rival already sells Doomsday meals.
Brands appointing a lead market should list every licensed and locked-out territory in the brief, so local teams know which assets they can adapt later.
KFC's next global tie-in should arrive with a plan for the 42% of sales that Doctor Doom didn't reach.
Brands planning international campaigns can work with these top marketing strategy agencies to establish creative leadership and coordinate market-specific execution.
