Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has the world-famous slogan of ‘finger lickin’ good’.
While widely considered one of the most iconic and well-made slogans in the business world, it has a encountered a small problem that we now call Covid-19.
Needless to explain, licking one’s fingers is probably the single worst thing that anyone can be doing right now. After months of experts around the world urging people to not touch their faces with their hands, KFC obliged by saying that the slogan “doesn’t feel quite right”.
KFC’s global marketing chief Catherine Tan-Gillespie said that the brand was facing a unique challenge of having a 64 year old slogan that perfectly describes the brand amidst a global pandemic that strictly forbids against that very action.
Observers have analyzed KFC’s suspension of its slogan as a good-hearted business choice. Not only is it a sensible and laudable decision in the times that we are in right now, but it is also a great marketing opportunity for the brand to ironically reinforce the slogan to everyone.
The nature of the fast-food chains mandate that brands use every single opportunity to turn it into a marketing campaign. With nearly indistinguishable food served at very low margins with many customers showing little to no loyalty, it is a fiercely competed market.
In the past, KFC had tried various campaigns to varying degrees of success. From yule logs that taste of chicken to a nail polish that was ‘finger lickin’ good’, showy and flashy marketing strategies have long been a staple of the business.
Thus, it was no surprise that the brand attempted to capitalize on the suspension by posting billboards that deliberately erased or hid the ‘finger lickin’ part, leaving just ‘it’s good’. Because of the way it is edited, some viewers may imagine a set of different words in the space.
Like every other fast-food chains and virtually all restaurants, KFC was forced to close down its dine ins, and heavily encouraged customers to use the delivery service or take out services. Employees also had to cope with added measures such as wearing masks.
Although it posted some of the worst on-site customers because of the lockdown measures, KFC’s sales have rebounded as people try to cope with their increased stress via their food.
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Replaced!