KFC Drops ‘Finger Lickin Good’ Slogan Due to Covid-19 Fears

KFC has momentarily dropped its ‘finger-lickin’ good” slogan because it “doesn’t feel quite right” during the coronavirus outbreak.

What We Know:

• The fried-chicken chain declared its 64-year-old tagline doesn’t work as well when officials asked the people do not touch their faces to stop the virus from spreading.
• A representative for KFC stated the ad campaign was operating in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada, the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa and parts of Asia. This campaign was not featured in the U.S. market, they added.
• The decision comes about five months after it pulled ads featuring the catchphrase among complaints that the featured video of people licking their fingers and those of their companions ran counter to official advice to stem the virus’s spread. The Drum said, more than 150 people protested to the AdvertisingStandards Authority in March.
• KFC said the slogan would come back “when the time is right,” but that it would change its messaging. For example, KFC in the U.K. and Ireland will reportedly be blurring out the words “finger-lickin'” on some of its marketing supplies, as opposed to removing such marketing materials altogether.
• Catherine Tan-Gillespie, KFC’s global chief marketing officer, stated they are in a unique situation, having an iconic slogan that does not fit this current environment. She announced the move on Monday.
• KFC finally pulled the ad, which the complainers feared would reinforce behavior that might spur the spread of the deadly COVID-19 bug, the outlet reported.
• Yum Brands said on August 5, KFC underwent a 21 percent drop in same-store sales from April through June as the pandemic made the chain close about 6,000 of its 24,000 restaurants by mid-April temporarily. About 95 percent of the chain’s stores were opened by the end of the quarter, which helped sales improve, the company said.

The marketing pitch was criticized in the U.K. as “irresponsible” and described as an encouragement behavior that may increase the chances of coronavirus being spread.