KFC suspends "It's Finger Lickin' Good" slogan amid pandemic
KFC said it's suspending its 64-year-old slogan, "It's Finger Lickin' Good," amid the coronavirus pandemic. The slogan "doesn't feel quite right" given the current environment, the company said.
The move comes as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge consumers to avoid touching their face — including their mouth — to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes the illness called COVID-19. The CDC is also advising consumers to frequently wash and disinfect their hands, and to cover their nose and mouth with a mask when near other people.
KFC took a tongue-in-cheek approach to the announcement, saying in a statement that they are the "winner of the award for the most inappropriate slogan for 2020." But at the same time, the restaurant industry is among the most challenged, as it copes with restrictions on indoor dining and consumer fears about the spread of the virus in settings where people are gathering without wearing masks.
"We find ourselves in a unique situation — having an iconic slogan that doesn't quite fit in the current environment," said Catherine Tan-Gillespie, global chief marketing officer at KFC. "While we are pausing the use of 'It's Finger Lickin' Good,' rest assured the food craved by so many people around the world isn't changing one bit."
The company said the slogan would return "when the time is right."