Reverse Day: When Cultural Context Reversed Our Strategy

Havas Paris

At Havas Paris, our team presented an integrated marketing proposal tailored for KFC France. Our concept was built on a “reverse” logic: unlike McDonald’s or Burger King, KFC in France is not seen as a child-friendly brand, but rather one preferred by adults. So we proposed the idea of a fictional “Parents’ Day,” where children bring their parents to KFC, and parents receive special discounts — a gesture of appreciation for their often-overlooked role.

Our intention was to challenge the conventional approach to family marketing, where brands usually target children to influence parents’ purchasing behavior. Instead, we aimed to directly address parents as emotional decision-makers and reward their role. However, during our presentation, we encountered an unexpected cultural “pushback.” The Havas team pointed out that France does not celebrate Children’s Day — the very holiday we were trying to subvert. Without this cultural reference, our idea lacked the emotional anchor needed to resonate with French consumers.

Listening to the executives' insights

What followed was even more enlightening. Havas shared one of their own past KFC campaigns: a humorous video showing a house in chaos after a child had wreaked havoc, paired with the ironic caption “Children are wonderful.” The message was clear — parenting is exhausting, and KFC offers a temporary escape. Interestingly, the core insight was similar to ours: recognizing the emotional needs of parents. Yet the execution was more locally attuned. Havas tapped into French humor and cultural tone to deliver the message in a way that felt authentic and relatable.

This experience made me realize that effective global marketing goes far beyond identifying universal insights. It demands a deep decoding of cultural differences. In cross-cultural communication, creativity alone is not enough — it must align with local meaning systems and emotional codes. As the principle of glocalization reminds us, global brands must strive not merely to be “translated,” but to be truly understood within local cultural contexts.