South African team creates a buzz with KFC Thailand’s ‘Cake’ ad. BTS with Director Bruno Bossi of Carbon Films
What happens when the world starts turning into cake? A South African team has the industry buzzing about the latest KFC Thailand commercial, not just for its originality but for its impeccable craft. Directed by Bruno Bossi from Carbon Films and conceptualised by the newly launched local agency Bananas. We sat down with Bruno to go behind the scenes.
Building on the viral trend of hyper-realistic cakes that look like everyday objects (phones, shoes, plants, even hands), the ad follows a man navigating a Bangkok where everything; his scooter, his couch, even his girlfriend, turns to cake. He races through this confectionary chaos to confirm if his beloved fried chicken is still…well, fried chicken. At its core, the commercial parodies the over-the-top action blockbuster while delivering bucket loads of cinematic production quality.
KFC ‘Cake’
“I’m sure there will be much talk and discussion this year about an international commercial being done by a South African agency, but hopefully this can be an inspiration to some of our local clients and a reminder to ourselves, that when you let South African creatives play, magic can happen. Silly magic. But magic.”
– Shane Forbes, Executive Creative Director at TBWA Hunt Lascaris
IDIDTHAT Craft Award’s Judge for December, Shane Forbes, Executive Creative Director at TBWA Hunt Lascaris commented on KFC ‘Cake’ after awarding it a Best in Craft.
Q: This ad is giving budget, was it a lot more than we are used to locally?
Bruno: This wasn’t a big-budget ad. In fact it was a fairly average budget by South African standards. What made the difference was trusting the idea and crafting it in the best way we could. Whether you’re shooting in Bangkok or Cape Town, audiences are the same – they want stories, entertainment, and ideas done well.
L-R Back Row: Mike Wood, Sean Harrison, Kirsten Clarence, Justin Gomes, Chayapa Jamnarnwej, Aey Anaman,
Safaraaz Sindhi
Front Row: Bruno Bossi, Liam Gilmour, Chutinan Nateerattana
Q: What made working with the KFC client on this project so special?
Bruno: We were lucky to work with a client who understands the value of a great idea and the importance of good craft. It’s relationships like these that enable good work like this to happen. The idea itself, which came from Bananas is, of course, brilliant. But having a client who believes in the idea and supports it fully makes all the difference.
Quick side note for intel if you haven’t heard already, Bananas is a newly launched Joburg Agency founded by Creative Director Safaraaz Sindhi, who has teamed up with ex FoxP2 Founder and partner, Justin Gomes and Sean Harrison, Head of Art.
Q: The pacing of this ad really stands out, adding to the adventure-comedy genre. How did you approach that?
Bruno: This could easily have been a 90-second spot with a cool soundtrack, but we approached it as a mini-movie. It’s structured in three acts, with each gag unfolding as part of a larger story, not just a repeated punchline. For instance, take the sequence where the protagonist falls, rolls, and lands in front of the guy who gets hit by bird droppings. Normally, you’d cut a scene like that down to a third of the time, keeping only the essentials, because why spend so much time on such a seemingly small moment? But by extending it, you completely shift the pace and transform the tone of the story. It breaks away from a typical commercial rhythm and almost creates a new genre; more literal, more deliberate. You’re walking the audience through each absurd beat of that moment, making them feel every detail of the chaos.
Bruno showing off his stunt moves to his actor
Q: Take us through your editing brief for this spot?
Bruno: We asked Julian Redpath, also a South African, to edit and he really understood the assignment perfectly. Not only did he follow the brief spectacularly, but he elevated it. Julian’s sound design layered the sequence with just the right feeling, and his control over the edit – every cut, every comedic beat, every pause – was impeccable. He nailed the balance of tension, humour, and absurdity, capturing exactly what we were going for. Sound design was another key element. We avoided using a single soundtrack because a track dictates the pace. Instead, we let the narrative and performances unfold naturally. Every gag had its own rhythm, its own progression. It’s what makes the film feel more like a movie and less like an ad.
Q: Isn’t it challenging to direct in a foreign country, especially with a language barrier?
Bruno: It has its challenges, but having the right team makes all the difference. Taprod, the production company in Thailand, and my line producer, Aey Anaman, have been integral to the process. We had an amazing DOP, art department, producers, stylists, and stunts people on the ground in Thailand. It honestly felt like we had our very own Carbon Films team there. And of course a huge shoutout to Kirsten Clarence, Carbon’s Executive Producer. Her input, as always, elevated the whole project.
(T-B: A running shoe cake, the street in Bangkok and the studio with apartment set)
Q: How many shoot days are typical for an ad in Thailand?
Bruno: Not dissimilar to here actually. This shoot lasted only three days, one in a studio for the apartment scenes, one on a bustling Bangkok street, and one in a KFC store. It was actually quite manageable, but we had to race through it. My DOP has become such a partner to me on set. An amazing DOP is so important.
Top row: Colonel Sanders, Liam Gilmour
Bottom: Kirsten Clarence & Bruno Bossi, Safaraaz Sindhi & Mike Wood, Bruno Bossi, Sean Harrison, Safaraaz Sindhi
Q: How much of the ‘cake’ was done in-camera versus in post-production?
Bruno: Most of the ‘cake’ was done practically in-camera, and not through VFX. The helmets, remotes, armrests – all of that was crafted by the incredible Thai art department. The one major VFX element was the girlfriend’s head, and Marco’s (Online & VFX Artist Marco Raposa de Barbosa) CG work on it was absolutely flawless. And then I got to hand it to Kirsten, in my initial treatment, we were planning what the cake should look like, and I did a mock-up in AI of the girlfriend’s head with red and white icing to match KFC’s colours. But it looked horrendous – it freaked everyone out! Kirsten suggested switching to a rainbow cake instead, and that was a huge solve. It balanced the humour and surrealism perfectly without veering into anything too unsettling.
Armrest cake, game remote cake
Prepping for VFX…
Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced during the shoot?
Bruno: Probably the helmet shot. We had 50 extras, a guy getting off a motorbike, taking off his helmet, realizing it’s cake, dropping it, and then running, all in one continuous shot. We only had three helmets, each taking days to make, so we only had three takes to get it right. Luckily, we nailed it on the second take.
Not all cake. Styrofoam was used in many of the shots.
Q: You’ve directed in Thailand on and off over the years. What’s one of the standout differences when shooting there?
Bruno: I’d say the role of the first AD (Assistant Director). In Thailand, the first AD is deeply involved from the very first pre-production meeting, even before any concrete work begins. I’ve worked with three different ADs there, and all of them have been incredible. They command full respect on set and have an amazing ability to balance the needs of the agency, the client, the cast, and the crew.
Q: And, how’s your Thai coming along?
Bruno: Haha, slowly. I have to rely heavily on my Thai team – my first AD but also producer, and clients. They become your anchor, helping to bridge any language barriers. Over the years, I’ve become better at understanding tones and performances, which has been like developing a sixth sense. It’s not always about the words themselves, but the feeling behind them.
The KFC ‘Cake’ ad was awarded a Best in Craft for Direction (Bruno Bossi, Carbon) and Editing (Julian Redpath) and received a Craft Mention for Final Mix (Howard Audio) in IDIDTHAT’s Craft Awards. The judges had high praise for the work:
Shane Forbes, Executive Creative Director at TBWA Hunt Lascaris, “From the opening scene until the end logo, I was grinning from ear to ear. How refreshing to see a commercial this irreverent and playful, in this day and age. I can only admire and appreciate every choice made by Bruno Bossi to make this piece so memorable and fun. The cast and performances are great (and even more impressive considering the challenges of directing talent in a foreign language). The combination of in-camera practical effects and VFX work together seamlessly, as does the sound design and score, which elevate both the tension and humour of this piece. A shout-out to the editor Julian Redpath for the pace and timing of each cut that makes this two and a half minute commercial not feel long and laborious to watch, but rather leaves you wanting more. I’m sure there will be much talk and discussion this year about an international commercial being done by a South African agency, but hopefully this can be an inspiration to some of our local clients and a reminder to ourselves, that when you let South African creatives play, magic can happen. Silly magic. But magic.”
Justice Mukheli, Director at Romance Films says, “Cake is such a simple idea, but it’s done so beautifully. Everything about it feels effortless and clear. The world Bruno and his team created is amazing. The characters feel so real, even though their world is heightened. Watching it, I felt like I was right there with them, caught up in everything that was happening. It’s stylized, but in such a subtle way. It never feels like it’s trying too hard, and that’s what makes me love it. This is the kind of work that makes me wish ‘I did that.”
Peter Little, Chief Creative Officer at Publicis Groupe Africa, ‘The effortless integration of music, sound effects and live sound really elevated this super crazy-cool piece. That intricate dance of raising the tension while driving the humour throughout was masterfully curated.’
Pre VFX and final shot.
Massive congrats to all the Saffas involved in this piece. We love it, we love you, we would love to see more of this…here on our sets please!
Wanna (s)talk some more? Carbon on IDIDTHAT and Company Website.
CREDITS:
Client : KFC Thailand
Market Lead & CMO: Suhayl Limbada
Associated Director Brand Experience: Patra Patrasuwan
Head of Brand: Mike Wood
Senior Marketing Manager: Chayapa Jamnarnwej
Marketing Manager: Chutinan Nateerattana
Senior Brand Manager: Morakot Nirannoot
Creative Lead Agency: Bananas
Creative Director: Saf Sindhi
Senior Copywriter: Justin Gomes
Senior Art Director: Sean Harrison
Secondary Agency: Brains & Brawn Co. Ltd
Production House: Carbon Films
Director: Bruno Bossi
Executive Producer: Kirsten Clarence
DOP: Liam Gilmour
Thai Production House: Ta Prod
Executive Producer: Louis Ditapichai
Line Producer: Aey Anaman
Production Manager: Gino Kiek
Production Co: Best Thanyachanok
1st AD. : Patra Kanchanamek
Art Director: Nopphadol Arkart
Location Manager: Poonsak Ponintawong
Wardrobe Stylist: Tipporn Thammasan
Casting Director: Tipwarin Luthisotvithi
Editor: Julian Redpath
Colourist: Nic Apostoli
Online & VFX: Marco Raposa de Barbosa
Audio: Howard Audio
Sound design & Final Mix: Paul Theodorou
Original Music: Adam Howard
Contact Carbon Films
Executive Producer: Kirsten Clarence
kirsten@carbonfilms.tv
021 300 0423
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Produced by the IDIDTHAT Content Studio – Credits: Anne Hirsch (Writer) / Julie Maunder
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This Editorial is paid for by Carbon Films. Want our studio to create content that puts your agency/company/kickass ad you made in bright lights for the whole industry to see? View our editorial packages or contact julie@ididthat.co and we’ll make it happen! #Boom
