KFC AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES ‘PICKLECORE’ WITH A HIGH-FASHION TWIST

KFC Australia has unveiled ‘Picklecore’, a bold new brand campaign via Special, transforming the humble pickle into a cultural phenomenon. Designed to support its limited-time pickle menu, the campaign blends food, fashion and lifestyle, inviting fans to embrace pickles as identity, not garnish, through surreal visuals and multi-channel storytelling.

Pickles have long been a divisive ingredient—beloved by some, avoided by others. Now, KFC Australia has decided to elevate them from condiment to cultural icon with the launch of its new ‘Picklecore’ campaign. Created by Special, the initiative supports the brand’s latest limited-time menu, which includes a Pickle Burger, Pickle Pepsi Max, Frickles and Pickle Loaded Chips.  

The campaign is built on the platform “It’s not a garnish. It’s a lifestyle,” positioning pickles as more than food. Special’s creative team saw an opportunity to harness the passion of hardcore pickle enthusiasts and draw in the “pickle curious” by giving the trend a high-fashion treatment. Teaser billboards featuring surreal pickle products—lipstick, watches and trousers—set the tone, before the campaign expanded across social media and cultural channels with podcaster Luisa Dal Din.  

At its centre is a 15-second hero film styled like a fashion advert, complete with techno soundtrack and exaggerated visuals. By deliberately blurring the lines between food advertising and fashion, KFC has created a world where pickles are not just eaten but lived. Tom Martin, CCO and Partner at Special, explained: “We didn’t just drop a menu item—we built an entire subculture. Picklecore is unapologetic, gloriously weird, and proves that when you lean into cultural absurdity, people don’t just eat the food—they live the lifestyle.”  

Vanessa Rowed, CMO of KFC SOPAC, echoed this sentiment, emphasising that Picklecore is more than a menu launch. “It’s an invitation to our fans and the pickle-curious to experience KFC in a totally new way. It shines a light on how we can take a passionate food obsession and turn it into bold, entertaining work, while driving real commercial momentum during a key period,” she said.  

Launched nationally on 1 September, the campaign will run for one month, aiming to spark conversation and cultural engagement while boosting sales. By turning a polarising flavour into a lifestyle statement, KFC has once again demonstrated its knack for pushing boundaries and embedding itself in the cultural zeitgeist.