Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), one of the country’s largest fast food chains, said in a news release Monday that it would temporarily drop its “Finger Lickin’ Good” slogan amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the news release referring to the phrase as “the most inappropriate slogan for 2020,” KFC marketing officials said that the ongoing outbreak in the U.S. and elsewhere had left the chain in an awkward spot.
“We find ourselves in a unique situation — having an iconic slogan that doesn’t quite fit in the current environment. While we are pausing the use of It’s Finger Lickin’ Good, rest assured the food craved by so many people around the world isn’t changing one bit,” said Catherine Tan-Gillespie, the company’s global chief marketing officer.
The press release concluded with the promise that the slogan would eventually return: “And for all those fans, don’t worry — the slogan will be back. Just when the time is right.”
The announcement comes as the U.S. coronavirus outbreak has topped more than 5.6 million total infections and is resulting in hundreds of deaths in the every day.
The company previously announced earlier this year that it was launching a contactless delivery service in response to the pandemic, which has forced many restaurants across the U.S. to suspend in-person dining.