Covid-19: KFC suspends ‘Its Finger Lickin’ Good’ slogan amid pandemic

The suspension will affect the slogan’s use in global advertising “for a little while,” the company said in a statement.

Don’t lick your fingers!

A robotic arm lifts an order of food from a conveyor belt inside a new contactless Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurant, operated by Yum! Brands Inc., ahead of its official opening in Moscow, Russia. (Bloomberg)

That’s what Kentucky Fried Chicken signaled to customers Monday as the company suspended its “It’s Finger Lickin’ Good” tagline after 64 years, deeming it “the most inappropriate slogan for 2020” amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The suspension will affect the slogan’s use in global advertising “for a little while,” the company said in a statement.

“We find ourselves in a unique situation — having an iconic slogan that doesn’t quite fit in the current environment,” said Catherine Tan-Gillespie, the company’s global chief marketing officer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s coronavirus safety measures calls for people to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands to reduce exposure to the virus.

For now, the company, which is a subsidiary of Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum! Brands, is telling fans not to worry.

“The slogan will be back,” the statement said. “Just when the time is right.”