In a finger-lickin’ win for Bastion Aotearoa, the agency has officially added KFC New Zealand to its client roster, B&T can reveal.
KFC has worked with Bastion in other markets, but not New Zealand. The agency also works with Air New Zealand, Spark and Whittaker’s.
KFC has previously worked with creative agencies including Special, Ogilvy and Stanley St.
“Restaurant Brands has appointed Bastion Aotearoa as KFC New Zealand’s creative advertising agency following a competitive RFP process,” a Restaurant Brands spokesperson told B&T.
“With a big year ahead for the brand, we’re excited to keep building on what KFC does best - big, bold, creative ideas, with our customers front and centre. Bastion Aotearoa joins Special PR and PHD Media as KFC New Zealand’s key agency partners.”
Bastion Aotearoa told B&T: “We are excited to partner with the team at Restaurant Brands, bringing the talent and capabilities of Bastion Aotearoa to help deliver the future vision for the KFC business and brand.”
KFC is also in the market for an agency to carry out a project in Australia.
Norton joins Bastion
In addition to adding KFC, Bastion has appointed a new managing director of insights, Joanne Norton, to its Australian team. She joins the team in mid-April and will report directly to group CEO, Cheuk Chiang.
Norton, who has more than 25 years, served as global director of consumer insights and category strategy at Bondi Sands, where she guided portfolio direction, investment prioritisation and consumer-centric growth across global markets.
Prior to this, she was L’Oréal’s director of consumer and market insights ANZ and a member of the CMO ANZ Management Committee.
Chiang described Norton’s appointment as an “important investment in the agency’s continued growth”.
“Her experience across some of the world’s leading consumer organisations strengthens our ability to deliver integrated, end-to-end solutions for the modern marketer. Having a strong client lens ensures we are in tune with what truly matters,” he said.
Norton said she’s excited to join Bastion’s Insights team.
“The Bastion Insights team is already delivering exceptional work, and I’m excited to join during this period of significant momentum to further build on that success,” she said.
“I’ve always believed the best insights don’t just inform decisions, they shape strategy and unlock new opportunities for growth. I’m looking forward to partnering with clients and teams across the business to help turn consumer intelligence into meaningful commercial impact.”

