Kentucky Fried Chicken ran out of chicken. Yes, you read that right. The wildly popular fast food chain was forced to shut down 800 out of 900 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland last week after there was a mix up with deliveries.
In response to this ironic event, KFC released an advertisement that ran in UK newspapers on February 23 that depicts a KFC chicken bucket with the letters “FCK,” an apology, and a link to their website in which customers and get up to date information on store closings and re-openings. While people were outraged by the shortages, some to the point of contacting law enforcement officers, the ad helped soften the blow and keep customers smiling.
While this ad was a risky move, given that it contains profanity, the ad has been well received, and even praised, for its cleverness and ability to find humor even during a crisis. This ad quickly shifted the focus of this crisis from the shortage to the ad, which got people all over the world talking, with the hashtag #KFCCrisis trending on Twitter.
Not many organizations would be able to put out an ad with this kind of content and still have the positive reception that KFC has received. However, KFC built a solid and respectable brand over the years and, therefore, are able to bounce back from a crisis such as a chicken place running out of chicken.
What do you think about this advertisement? Do you think the ad was too risky or clever? Comment down below! Find out more about how organizations handle crises here.
Photo Credits to KFC UK Marketing