KFC Thinks Better of its Slogan

For 64 years, KFC thought the slogan about its fried chicken—"It's Finger Lickin' Good"—was in fine taste. These days, health experts advise keeping our hands away from our face if we want to stay healthy. We're supposed to clean our hands often, and not by licking them. "We find ourselves in a unique situation—having an iconic slogan that doesn’t quite fit in the current environment," the company's marketing chief said in a statement, USA Today reports. "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."

Suspending a marketing slogan is a bit of a marketing campaign in itself, CNN points out. KFC posted a video on YouTube showing "It's Finger Lickin' Good" blurred out on billboards and buckets. The company had received criticism in the UK for sticking to the slogan this spring as encouraging "behavior that might increase the chances of coronavirus spreading," per Fox Business. The KFC website for Ireland and the UK advises customers: "You know that thing you do with your tongue after finishing a delicious piece of chicken? Please ignore it… for now." On Monday, the company's statement said the slogan "doesn't feel quite right" these days but will return "when the time is right." (More KFC stories.)