KFC suspends ‘Its Finger Lickin’ Good’ slogan amid pandemic

This April 18, 2011, file photo, shows Yum Brand’s KFC restaurant in Mountain View, Calif. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Don’t lick your fingers!

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.

UK Eases Some Restrictions In Eighth Week Of Coronavirus Lockdown — Members of the public queue for KFC drive through in Pollockshaws on May 14, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

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.”

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