Kentucky restaurants amend their ads due to Corona
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants have temporarily put their long-running slogan "Eat your finger at it".
The Kentucky Fried Chicken chain has temporarily suspended its long-used "Eat Your Fingers" ad slogan, saying it is inappropriate in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made personal hygiene a top priority to stop the spread of infection.
In an era when masks and handwashing have become the norm and with health officials' recommendations not to touch the face, the company said the slogan "does not seem appropriate."
She added in a press release that the logo, which the Yum Brands-owned chain has used sporadically for 64 years, will not be used temporarily in advertisements worldwide until it appears again in time.
The restaurant chain published a short video clip on its YouTube channel in Britain and Ireland on Monday, in which buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken are shown with the words "You eat your fingers and eat it" blurred.
The announcement then ends with the words "That slogan that we have always said? Ignore it ... for now."
The move comes after the chain pulled an ad in the UK that used the logo and featured people licking their fingers and toes for comrades after eating KFC.
The ad, which was broadcast in March, was widely criticized on social media for promoting behavior that could increase the chance of catching COVID-19, and the UK Advertising Standards Authority has received at least 150 complaints, The Drum reported.
The step is a new example of a major company bending its head in front of the storm and rethinking brand names and logos, after strong reactions on social media accusing it of being indifferent and disconnected from the facts of time.
"We find ourselves in a unique position ... we have a popular slogan that doesn't quite fit the current situation," said Catherine Tan-Gillespie, Kentucky’s chief global marketing officer, in a statement.