ASA complaints about KFC's 'The Whole Chicken' ad could exceed 400 before investigation decided
The latest KFC advertising campaign has sparked over 350 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) although the watchdog has yet to decide whether to investigate the issue.
The ASA noted that at the time of writing there were 356 complaints, however it is expected the number could pass 400 before it makes a decision, possibly this week, as to whether to look into claims that ‘The Whole Chicken’ campaign was ‘distressing’ and ‘misleading’.
It has been reported that some complaints about the use of the phrase ‘the whole chicken’ were misleading as not all of the chicken was used by the fast-food chain while others have complained about the use of the song ‘X Gon’ Give It To Ya’ by DMX despite the removal of any of its expletives within the TV advert.
This is the first advertising work produced by KFC’s new UK creative agency Mother.
Hermeti Balarin, executive creative director of Mother, added: “KFC chicken is of the highest quality. But somehow, despite previous attempts at communicating this message, people never really got it. So we created a campaign that is impossible to ignore.”
As well as posters, the campaign includes graffiti artwork around London, with one mural that claimed; ‘The Whole Chicken, Freshly Prepared All Day, Every Day.’