KFC Drops Its Iconic Slogan

KFC announced it will drop its iconic “finger lickin’ good” slogan, admitting it doesn’t quite work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The KFC slogan has been in place for over six decades. While it has not been used recently in the US, the tagline continued to be part of the chain’s communication across global market, including The Netherlands, South Africa, Canada, Asia, The Middle East, North Africa, and the UK.

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KFC has chosen to temporarily pause using its “finger lickin’ good” slogan because it just does not quite fit a global pandemic that requires people to wash their hands regularly, avoid touching their faces, and, obviously, licking their fingers. Back in March, KFC had already pulled a commercial that was showing people licking their hands following complaints to the UK’s advertising watchdog.

“This is a big step for us, but let’s be honest, our slogan is probably the most inappropriate out there right now,” KFC acknowledged in a statement.

The change will lead to a new global campaign by Mother and PR agency Freuds, which will span those markets. We do not know yet what it will be replaced with.

For now, the brand is taking a tongue-in-cheek direction for its current outdoor ads, showing  buckets of chicken featuring disclaimers such as  “Finger lickin’ not currently advised” or “Wash fingers thoroughly before lickin’.”

Kate Wall, head of advertising KFC U.K. and Ireland, said:  “I think we all know it has been a tricky year for the hospitality and advertising industries but, like our slogan, we’ll bounce back. Bigger and better than ever.”

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