Havoc in Heaven (1961, 1964) is an animated film adaptation of the early parts of Journey to the West and tells the story of how Wukong, or the Monkey King, rebels against the heavenly authorities. It is one of China’s best-known animated films and has had several collabs with brands in recent years, including Starbucks and Luckin Coffee. Its latest Monkey King film co-branding campaign is with American fast-food chain KFC.
As part of its “crazy” new school year campaign, KFC is collaborating with the film to bring some of its iconic characters to life as toys. Since Havoc in Heaven is such a timeless classic, the marketing of the co-branded toys is also directed at two different generations: students and young professionals.
On one hand, some of the toys are framed as workplace memes, such as the meeting-loving boss, the absent-minded co-worker, or the lunch-loving Monkey King. On the other hand, the campaign appeals to students with endless homework or teachers who love random quizzes.
This collab is an inspired case of global brands localising in China, because it not only takes ideas from traditional culture (Monkey King and company), but it is also an established IP that appeals to multiple generations. Most importantly, KFC combined that with its own “Crazy Thursday” abstract humour memes to create two resonating messages with Monkey King for different audiences.