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KFC halts UK professional 'finger-licker' campaign in wake of pandemic

Photo: File from KFC

March 17, 2020

In the U.K., a KFC ad that began running last month about its search for a "professional finger licker" in connection with the brand's longtime catchphrase "finger-lickin' good," has been suspended in the wake of the current pandemic, according to the New York Daily News. 

The U.K.'s self-regulatory organization for the advertising industry, the Advertising Standards Authority, "paused" the ad after it received 163 complaints about it. The timing for the ad campaign could not have been worse, considering widespread social distancing and even lockdown mandates globally in the wake of the spread of COVID-19. 

"Our team in the U.K. didn't feel like it was the right time to be airing this particular advertisement, so they've decided to pause it for now," a KFC spokesperson told the Daily News.

The billboard campaign began some weeks back as part of its search for a so-called professional finger licker. With mandates worldwide pushing the need for everyone to fastidiously wash their hands for 20 seconds, the theme of the campaign was deemed no longer appropriate.

Read more QSRweb COVID-19 restaurant coverage here.