KFC Is No Longer “Finger Lickin’ Good”

The slogan “finger lickin’ good” for KFC chicken is American as, well, apple pie. But the British media is reporting that the fast-food restaurant chain has abandoned its traditional advertising motto.

A visit to KFC’s corporate website seems to confirm that the new catchphrase is a slimmed-down “so good” and apparently part of the company’s focus on healthier (it clams) ingredients other than it’s top-secret chicken recipe and menu items other than fried chicken.

As reported in the DailyMail and elsewhere, a KFC official in the UK gave a very odd, corporate-speak, explanation for the change:

Martin Shuker, chief executive of KFC UK and Ireland said: ‘”Finger lickin’ good” is very good but it’s very food centric.’

‘”So Good” is still about the food but it also allows us to more effectively communicate the breadth of different things about the brand, such as our people and our community,’ said Mr Shuker.

“Finger lickin’ good” has been around for over 50 years. The well-known slogan came about entirely by chance:

The catchphrase originated by accident in the 1950s when franchisee David Harman was shown eating chicken and licking his fingers in the background of an American TV commercial. A viewer phoned up to complain about the incident and spoke to manager Ken Harbough, who replied: ‘Well it’s finger lickin’ good.’

Do you think Col. Sanders would approve of this change?

[Read More: Daily Mail]