Marketing Wonderland: Unwrapping a Surprising Holiday Tradition in Japan

Today's tale is about a legendary brand that pulled off a marketing miracle, creating a colossal holiday tradition in a whole new country!

We're diving into the mystery of why KFC has become a Christmas staple in Japan. Yep, you heard that right. No Japanese Christmas is complete without a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Spoiler alert: this tradition is built on a little white lie. Shh!

Whether you're a vegan or a meat enthusiast, this story is packed with savory marketing details, so let's dig in.

So, why the KFC obsession during Christmas in Japan?

Every year, on Christmas, millions of Japanese families indulge in KFC's special Christmas dinner. And get this, the craze doesn't stop at just Christmas day. This KFC fever lasts the entire holiday month in Japan!

The brand sells nearly 10 times its monthly average in December alone. Mind-blowing, right?

But how did it all begin? Well, we have to rewind to the 1970s for that.

Enter Takishi Okavara, the mastermind behind it all. As the manager of KFC's first store in Japan, he overheard some foreign customers lamenting about missing their traditional turkey dinner back home during Christmas.

Now, back then, Japan didn't celebrate Christmas. It just wasn't a thing.

But Okavara saw an opportunity. Maybe the foreign residents and tourists missed a touch of Christmas? Maybe even Japanese citizens could embrace the holiday?

Ding ding ding! He had a lightbulb moment. Why not give people in Japan a whole new reason to celebrate Christmas? And hey, make some money off it too, of course.

And so, the advertising blitz began!

He introduced the KFC party barrel, positioning it as the go-to Christmas meal. Every KFC ad depicted joyous Japanese families gathered around a colossal KFC bucket, savoring chicken on Christmas. The idea caught on like wildfire!

Japan started buying into the notion of celebrating Christmas with chicken. It gave families a reason to come together, to meet friends and relatives, and to celebrate as one.

KFC even started offering cakes and wine as part of this Christmas "tradition." The meal is now marketed as a full-blown dinner package, requiring pre-ordering weeks in advance. Those who don't plan often spend hours queuing outside KFC outlets to snag the Christmas special meal.

This specially curated package accounts for a whopping third of KFC's annual sales in Japan. A third!

And that's not all. The Japanese have even turned KFC's iconic mascot, Colonel Sanders, into a Santa figure. KFC goes all out with Christmas marketing, featuring Colonel Sanders decked out in Santa gear, strutting around their outlets.

This clever move has made him a bit of a Christmas symbol in Japan!

But what about the mastermind behind it all, Okavara?

He eventually became the CEO of KFC Japan in 1984, holding the position for a solid 18 years. Interestingly, he later admitted that he kind of regretted the Christmas frenzy he had unleashed. He had led everyone to believe that people in the West celebrate Christmas with chicken, so everyone in Japan should do the same.

But technically, that's not the case, is it? Christmas is typically celebrated with homemade turkey, not fast-food chicken. It's almost like having a Diwali dinner at home without deep-fried treats and mithai, you know what I mean?

Regrets or not, Okavara certainly manufactured a whole "eat-Kentucky-fried-chicken-with-family" tradition for Christmas in Japan.

And now, Christmas in Japan is like New Year's Eve. There's no real reason to celebrate it, but marketing and consumerism make you celebrate it anyway. Thumbs up to that!

Speaking of which, it's that time of year to brace yourself for that one standard question that someone will inevitably ask you this week: "So, what are your plans for New Year's?"