Why KFC Dropped The Slogan 'It's Finger Lickin' Good'

When a brand works its way into mainstream consumer culture, it will almost undoubtedly bring a recognizable catchphrase along with it. It's difficult to see the signature Nike swoosh without hearing the slogan 'Just Do It,' and it's downright impossible to pour a bowl of Rice Krispies without imagining your cereal shouting, "Snap! Crackle! Pop!"

Some company slogan changes have failed miserably, like when Pepsi's 'Live For Now' campaign was roundly mocked by an increasingly future-forward consumer base. For recent slogan shakeups, Wendy's recent 'Square's the Beef' take on the decades-old 'Where's the Beef' campaign being a prime example, the results have yet to be seen.

There are certain circumstances under which a name change becomes necessary regardless of the potential marketing impact. The COVID-19 pandemic saw increased concern over the spread of germs, and as a result, KFC decided that a slogan encouraging its patrons to suck on their greasy fingers wasn't the most health-conscious look for the company.

Anyone who has ever enjoyed a bucket of the Colonel's Original Recipe knows that KFC is indeed finger-lickin' good. While slurping excess grease from each of your digits individually is perhaps the most satisfying aspect of eating fried chicken, it doesn't take a medical professional to deduce that sticking your hands in your mouth isn't the most sanitary decision.

The unhygienic act was made all the more problematic when the world suddenly found itself battling the viral coronavirus. In March 2020, when the first round of COVID-19 lockdowns began, the Advertising Standards Authority was overwhelmed by 163 negative responses to a KFC ad that showed actors going against the advice of health professionals and licking their fingers. KFC was receptive to the complaints and temporarily dropped the 'It's Finger Licking Good' slogan altogether. The company released a tongue-in-cheek video, wherein the franchise's signature chicken buckets and advertising materials had the catchphrase comedically censored.

Finger licking is a surprisingly common behavior. People dampen their digits with a little lick for a number of different tasks, including turning pages. The action is second nature to some – early on in the pandemic, a health official touched a finger to her mouth moments after advocating for mask-wearing. While masks helped combat this issue, you obviously need to take off your face covering to enjoy fried chicken, therefore potentially setting the stage for a finger-lick-inspired superspreader event.

It was actually consumer vitriol over a case of chicken-centric finger-licking in a KFC commercial that caused the franchise to coin the classic catchphrase. According to Deseret News, in the 1950s, Dave Harman, the brother of KFC co-founder Pete Harman, wanted to be featured in his Phoenix, Arizona franchise's television advertisement. He turned in an Oscar-worthy performance as a fried chicken enthusiast and even licked his fingers on camera. An angry citizen called the location to protest Harman's unsanitary actions, and manager Ken Harbough casually responded, "Well, it's finger-lickin' good!"

KFC kept its finger lickin' slogan for decades. It was temporarily dropped in the '90s but had been back for over a decade when the franchise decided the catchphrase didn't fare well when confronted with coronavirus concerns. Fortunately, after only a year, once KFC felt that the worst waves of the pandemic had subsided, the 'It's Finger-Lickin' Good' slogan returned once again.

If all this talk of KFC has you craving chicken, but you want to avoid the temptation to lick your grease and germ-covered hands, you could opt to use utensils instead of your fingers. However, if you're in Georgia, silverware isn't an option, due to a strange law that makes eating fried chicken with a fork illegal.