Korean Fried Chicken Chain Bonchon Awards Lead US Creative to a Gen Z Agency

Originally published on AdAge by Brian Bonilla

Korean fried chicken chain Bonchon is betting on Gen Z’s love of unique food experiences by hiring Carson+Doyle, an agency focused on that demographic, to lead U.S. creative and strategy.

Before sending a brief to agencies, Bonchon found that its top-performing franchises serve Gen Z and millennials more than others, said Toni Carpenter, VP of marketing at privately held Bonchon. The restaurant brand searched for an agency that would “differentiate Bonchon and really have a voice to speak to this target audience [that] is naturally attracted to the brand.”

Although the top-performing franchises were located in cities or near college campuses, giving it an advantage with Gen Z consumers, Bonchon believes it can reach younger consumers, in part by leaning into the idea of Bonchon as food you can share with loved ones.

The chain found that “people who loved [Bonchon] the most really understood how to use the brand, and they intuitively knew about what the brand is all about,” Carpenter said. “Korean comfort food is all about sharing and family style … and so they would bring their friends and teach their friends how to order it and eat it.”

Bonchon opened its first U.S. location in 2006. The chain has big expansion plans, aiming to grow from 145 U.S. restaurants to 500 in the next five years.

Bonchon previously worked with St. Louis agency Propaganda for creative, Carpenter said. Propaganda wasn’t immediately available for comment.

A key part of Carson+Doyle’s remit will be helping create a marketing plan for Bonchon’s 40 new locations this year, according to Charlie Naus, the agency’s co-founder and managing director, a millennial who is on the cusp of Gen Z. The agency’s strategic knowledge will also be used to inform the look of new franchises, event openings and uniforms, Carpenter said.

The marketing will be focused on getting consumers to come to Bonchon for special occasions. There will also be a focus on Bonchon’s Korean heritage and culture while still appealing to a mass U.S. audience, Carpenter said.

Bonchon aims to stand out in an extremely competitive fried chicken market populated by giants such as KFC, Popeyes and Wingstop, which have all made lead creative agency changes since April 2023.

“Gen Z loves to gather around food and they appreciate experiences way more than the features and benefits of speed, price and convenience,” said Naus. “Those are great and they’re important, but there’s already plenty of that.”

For the remainder of the year, Bonchon will run a media plan focused on digital and social. The brand will invest more in the connected TV and streaming space in 2025, Naus said. Dallas-based Imaginuity is Bonchon’s media agency.

“Gen Z is unconventional. They like something that’s different, but has a little bit of credibility,” Naus said, suggesting that friends can convince others to try Bonchon. “Yes, it’s a saturated market, but this offering is … not going to be the same experience you have at any of these other chicken places.”

This is a big win for Carson+Doyle, which was founded in 2017. It currently has 10 employees and also uses freelancers based on projects. The agency currently works with clients such as Tinder, Spotify, Red Bull and water filter company LifeStraw.

To stand out during the pitch, the agency researched Korean culture and interviewed Gen Zers about their opinions on fried chicken and other topics. When the agency was invited to the finals, it created a menu placemat that included crosswords and other games tied into Korean culture and other content, Naus said.

The agency’s authenticity stood out among other agencies that were also pitching using Gen Z insights, Carpenter said. “It just seemed like they were authentically themselves, and they want to help brands communicate to this audience,” Carpenter said.