KFC prides itself on using locally sourced, 100% chicken meat in its meals, however it appears its new advertising campaign highlighting its use of "The Whole Chicken" may have backfired. The new TV advert for the fast-food chain shows a real chicken strutting around a barn to the DMX song X Gon' Give It To Ya in the style of a rap video – prompting many viewers to say it would actually put them off ordering KFC food.
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"I really don't understand how that KFC advert would make people want to eat chicken," one tweeted, while another person tweeted the chain to say that the advert had given her "nightmares". One even suggested that the advert had made her consider becoming vegetarian, tweeting: "Am I the only one who wants to go veggie after watching KFC's atrocious new advert? Chicken dancing to the slaughter house."
The KFC advert has received mixed feedback from viewers
It is an argument backed up by PETA, with the animal rights organisation's director Elisa Allen telling The Independent: "It certainly looks as if we designed it, because it challenges anyone thinking of eating chickens to look these smart, sociable, sensitive and beautiful birds in the eye and recognise that they're individuals, not body parts to be battered as nuggets."
However not everyone is averse to the campaign. "People are hating on the new #KFCadvert but I'm all for it. It's great. If you don't like to be reminded that you're eating a chicken – don't," one person tweeted. Another suggested that people had failed to see "the funny side" of the advert.
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It appears KFC are standing by the concept behind the advert. Meg Farren, chief marketing officer of KFC, said when launching the campaign: "At KFC we're proud of our chicken, we're not afraid to show it. 'The Whole Chicken' represents a step change for us, taking a bolder stance when it comes to engaging with our loyal customers and fans."
What do you think of the advert?