Thailand – KFC has partnered with socially-led creative agency We Are Social Thailand and Warner Music to launch ‘KFC Bucket Search x WAVS 3’, a program offering Thai youth pathways to build careers in the music industry.
The initiative combines KFC Bucket Search, which supports education and reintegration for youths in juvenile centres, with Warner Music’s WAVS programme, aimed at providing nationwide access to music education and professional development.
We Are Social oversaw the brand partnership, campaign strategy, and creative execution, including an immersive KFC-branded space within the WAVS metaverse platform, also developed by the agency.
The WAVS metaverse platform allows participants to connect with coaches, collaborate on music projects, and share their work in real time, helping to remove geographical and financial barriers to participation.
Suhayl Limbada, market lead & chief marketing officer, KFC Thailand, said, “This project was designed to unlock the potential of out-of-school youth. We believe in the power of ‘music’—not just as an art form for entertainment, but as a tool for emotional healing and a gateway to new life opportunities.”
“KFC chose to drive this project with a vision of finding ‘shared values’ by igniting the hidden potential within each individual and embracing every dream. The collaboration with We Are Social (as the developer adapting the metaverse technology) and Warner Music Thailand (as the music network and coaches) is a perfect synergy that takes the KFC Bucket Search to a more profound level,” Limbada added.
Now in its third year, the programme, with the help of We Are Social, has also secured partnerships with brands such as L’Oréal, Maybelline, Garnier, and Marshall. Activities are rolled out in three phases: recruitment and auditions via the metaverse or at Warner Music Studio, workshops in both virtual and in-person settings, and a final live performance supported by brand sponsors.
Patt Nitikarn, managing director at We Are Social Thailand, commented, “Bringing the KFC Bucket Search together with WAVS felt like the perfect synergy. Together, KFC and Warner Music are giving rare opportunities to out-of-school youth to learn digital music skills, helping them build a career as an artist and re-enter society with dignity.”
“At We Are Social, we believe in crafting solutions that go beyond just marketing but also help solve real challenges in innovative and meaningful ways. Utilising the metaverse for this project allowed us to create safe and accessible spaces for participants who would otherwise have been unable to take part in such a program due to geographical and financial limitations. The metaverse is more than just a piece of technology; it’s a safe space that creates opportunities. It has helped turn the dreams of at-risk youth into a reality on an equal footing,” he added.
