The problem with trying to predict which behavioural changes will stick after a crisis is that we tend to overestimate quite how much will actually change. Humans are innately stubborn creatures and, even with the best will in the world, many of the bad habits they’ve had for generations even will take longer than six months to shift.

But one that perhaps will never be quite the same again is the tendency to eat with your hands, to lick your fingers when eating out to express your appreciation for the meal at hand. It’s this shift in behaviour that KFC have recognised in the first ever global campaign from the brand.

To reflect the shifting world, the brand has temporarily removed its iconic slogan from all advertising. ‘It’s Finger Lickin’ Good’ will appear blurred out across all forms of marketing, in a move coordinated by Mother London and Freuds, an acknowledgement of perhaps the most COVID-unfriendly tagline in market.

Kate Wall, Head of Advertising at KFC UK&I, explained: “With great chicken comes great responsibility, so don’t start flapping, we’ll be winging our way back to find a suitable slogan which screams just how delicious our chicken is as a temporary replacement - watch the coop!”

It's a seminal moment for a brand that is perhaps almost as synonymous with its tagline as it is with its chicken. It’s an example of the power of reactive marketing, of reflecting the world the brand’s consumers actually live in right now whilst still keeping with KFC's irreverent tone. The campaign captures an attitude, of both respect and defiance towards a pandemic-struck world.