Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is temporarily halting the use of their famous slogan ‘Finger lickin’ good’. They believe the slogan is in bad taste considering the global pandemic.
This decision follows months after the company was heavily criticised for an advertisement they ran in the UK in March that featured people licking their own fingers and the fingers of others after eating the chicken. The advertisement has since been removed.
In a press release, the company announced that the iconic phrase does not match the current environment in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of the outbreak, people have been advised to maintain good hygiene and avoid touching their eyes, mouth and nose with unwashed hands to reduce exposure to the virus.
“We find ourselves in a unique situation — having an iconic slogan that doesn’t quite fit in the current environment,” said KFC’s global chief marketing officer, Catherine Tan-Gillespie.
They are thus temporarily editing the phrase from ‘it’s finger lickin’ good’ to ‘it’s good’, and this will affect KFC stores across the globe. Packaging will be altered to partially blur the ‘finger lickin’ part.
The slogan has been in existence for 64 years, and continues to be one of the most recognisable phrases in society. But never fear, the original phrase will be back at a more appropriate time.
Watch the announcement here:
Picture: Unsplash