KFC’s New “Finger Lickin’ Good” Campaign Is Slammed for Being Racially Insensitive

A new KFC campaign being run in Canada has sparked a flurry of criticism on Twitter after photos of billboards were deemed racially insensitive. The global restaurant chain has long used its slogan, “It’s finger lickin’ good,” and in the new advertisement, the company utilizes a witty attempt at proving it.

Azim Akhtar, the director of marketing for KFC Canada, excitedly shared images that depicted the reflections of two Black men and a woman of color in silverware as they ate chicken and licked their fingers. {snip}

{snip} But Black people in particular expressed disappointment, criticizing KFC for approving a marketing plan that perpetuated racist stereotypes.   

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Akhtar took notice of the scrutiny and attempted to extinguish any hard feelings by sharing the full video advertisement. In it, a cast of white, Black, Asian, old, and young people of various walks of life are shown eating fried chicken {snip}

“My earlier post didn’t capture the full diversity of our latest campaign, and I personally apologize for not being more thoughtful {snip} Here is the 60-second spot that is more representative of Canada’s diversity and our creative,” wrote Akhtar. {snip}

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