Matty Matheson Wins a KFC Restaurant in New Ad from Courage

In a Canada-first collaboration, KFC has partnered with Matty Matheson to announce the launch of a new, limited-time menu. Created in partnership with independent agency Courage, and directed by Spy Films’ Henry Scholfield, the campaign is designed to integrate Canadian food culture into one of the country’s most popular QSR brands.

Headlined by a 60-second spot titled ‘Matty’s KFC’, the work depicts the celebrity chef winning ownership of a restaurant away from the Colonel, and capitalising on the opportunity by developing the ‘Matty Melt Slider’, ‘Matty Melt Sandwich’, ‘Matty Mega Melt Poutine’ and the ‘Matty Mega Feast’ (all available for a limited time). Designed to be culture-led, the creative taps into Matheson’s relationship with food, fandom and nostalgia, with the aim of mirroring the way Canadians experience the franchise and meeting them where they’re at.

“Matty isn’t just a famous chef – he’s a symbol of how Canadians relate to food,” says Azim Akhtar, interim chief marketing officer, KFC Canada. “He represents generosity, nostalgia and real comfort, which aligns perfectly with how KFC shows up in people’s lives. This collaboration lets us build something that feels deeply Canadian, not imported or manufactured.”

Crucial to both Courage and the brand was treating Matheson not as a celebrity endorser, but as a genuine collaborator, throughout the entire process. Keenly aware of his footprint and fiercely loyal fanbase, according to the indie’s founder and co-chief creative officer, Joel Holtby, the ability to expand KFC into contemporary food culture would not have been possible without leaning into the chef’s raw humour, authenticity, and love of indulgent flavours.

“We didn’t want to make ads about Matty – we wanted to make KFC feel like Matty,” he continues. “Matty represents a kind of loud, generous, unapologetic Canadian food culture that KFC has always been part of. This was about finding that shared DNA and turning it into something people could taste, not just watch.”

To best facilitate this, Matheson was involved right from the get-go. Allowed to shape the menu, tone and creative, he was able to bring “credibility that can’t be manufactured” – something Joel notes is especially important at a time when brands need to feel more human and grounded.

“This wasn’t about finding a celebrity chef, but a genuine cultural partner who loves KFC and understands how Canadians actually eat,” he adds. “Instead of putting Matty into KFC ads, we focused on making KFC feel like Matty – an energetic and very hands-on experience. He constantly pushed for more indulgence and fun – more flavour, more cheese, more excess – while we worked together to balance that ambition with what works at QSR scale. That push-and-pull defined the collaboration.”

Rolling out nationally across film, social, in-store, digital, earned media, and supported by a takeover of a flagship downtown Toronto KFC (the titular ‘Matty’s KFC’) later this month, the campaign is designed to live over time as a proper brand platform. Bolstered by weekly ‘secret’ menu drops through the KFC app, experiential moments, and a “flexible creative platform” supported by Canadian elements and artists, for Joel, the aim is to extend the story and build ongoing engagement beyond this single menu release.

“[I’m most proud of the fact] that it feels real,” Joel concludes. “This doesn’t look or sound like a traditional celebrity campaign – it feels Canadian, indulgent and human. Most importantly, it’s something people can actually taste, not just watch.”