KFC Ad Campaign Ending......

Avatar for imthebigsister
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Registered: 03-26-2003
KFC Ad Campaign Ending......
1
Thu, 11-20-2003 - 4:24pm
Public Interest Group Cries Fowl Over KFC Ads

Ads Touting Chicken As Part Of Healthy Diet To End

POSTED: 9:47 a.m. EST November 20, 2003

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- KFC says it is ending an advertising campaign that ruffled some feathers.

The ads in question showed how the company's Original Recipe fried chicken can be part of a balanced diet. They say that KFC's Original Recipe Chicken Breast has less than half the fat and less calories than a Burger King Whopper.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission this month claiming the ads were deceptive.

A KFC spokeswoman said the ads are stopping Friday as part of the "normal course of business" and not as a result of any complaints.

But the CSPI, the group that squawked the loudest about the ads, said KFC's decision signaled that the ad campaign had backfired.

The ad campaign was created by Interpublic Group's Foote Cone and Belding unit. When the campaign was announced in late October, KFC said in a statement that it was "setting the record straight -- fried chicken can, in fact, be part of a healthy diet."

"Consumers should no longer feel guilty about eating fried chicken," said Scott Bergren, KFC's executive vice president of Marketing and Food Innovation, in the statement. "Consumers will be surprised to learn they can enjoy fried chicken as part of a healthy, balanced diet."

Bergren added that people should eat all food in moderation, and balance that with an appropriate amount of exercise. "It's all about energy in, energy out," he said.

Along with the ad campaign, the company has provided complete nutritional information about its products in all its restaurants and on its Web site.

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Copyright 2003 by TheBostonChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Avatar for bootywhompus
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 11-21-2003 - 7:51am
Oh yeah! Those commercials have been going against the grain for me.

Lori