Complaints over KFC bad manners ad

Had to share this ... it had me rolling! Bad manners lawsuits?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/06 ... index.html

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Call center workers shown on TV singing with their mouths full have prompted a flood of complaints from Britons concerned over the depiction of bad manners.

The commercial for KFC became Britain's most complained about ad, with 1,671 members of the public contacting the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Offended viewers said it encouraged bad manners in children by making it appear funny to sing or speak while eating, and 41 of those who complained said their children had aped the ad.

But the ASA rejected all complaints and dismissed fears of an epidemic of children eating open-mouthed.

"As teaching good table manners is an ongoing process needing frequent reminders at meal times, we do not agree that the advertisement would have a detrimental effect," the authority said in its ruling.

Nearly all those who complained said they found it unpleasant to watch.

The advert used subtitles to explain what the three call center staff were singing as they munched KFC salads, leading some viewers to complain that it mocked people with speech and hearing impediments.

It ended with one of the women answering a phone singing, "Hello, emergency helpline," which prompted others to complain that it implied call center staff were unprofessional.

Disgruntled viewers will be spared having to see the commercial again, however, as KFC said its planned run is finished and has no plans to show it again.

KFC, a division of Yum Brands Inc., said it intended the commercial to be light-hearted. The ad was created by Bartle Bogle Heagarty, which is minority owned by Publicis.

The previous record for complaints over a television commercial was the 860 filed against a Wrigley's gum commercial that showed a man regurgitating a dog.

According to an ASA spokeswoman, a 1995 print campaign by the British Safety Council to promote safe sex, showing the pope wearing a helmet, held the old record for more objections than any other advert with 1,187 complaints.

In both those cases, ad watchdogs agreed with the complaints.

I would complain about KFC as the advert was a false representation of the company. All the KFCs around here and run and owned by asians round here and its more like visiting the Quick e mart off the Simpsons.

Anyway, as for the people who complained, there morons.

[gouldy]

posh people make me laugh!

Those ads are really stupid though really, I can honestly say that I've never been into a KFC and had the immigrant behind the counter sing "would you like a serviettte" to me. Well, perhaps I would have, had I of been to KFC in the past year, I don't go there because the food is terrible, apart from the popcorn chicken.

I just had popcorn chicken no less than an hour ago. Its better than McDonalds though. Usualy the chips i get from McDonalds look like they have bene cooked in water and are brown and floppy (ha ) and the burger usualy has a mountain of onion and no relish, and the coke i have seems to be 98% water and 2% coke, talk about watered down. The only good McDonalds is the one in Alton Towers near the sky ride Its always so fresh and nice there.

[gouldy]

don't confuse Chips with Fries please Edge I will not have the good ol' English Chip compared to those little sticks of pure fat, crap and grease, I notice a distinct lack of potato and flavour in them

Besides all fast food joints are terrible. With the exception of a Bacon Double Cheeseburger from BK, I think all of the "food" is just complete and utter tosh made from old bits of pigs bollocks and cows ears

[Oscar]

BK is one of the worst fast food placest in America, in my opinion of course.

[hyyyper]

the australian KFC fries are the worst in the world!, and the kuala lumpur BK is very cheap compared to Holland...

[gouldy]

Well I can honestly say thats the most useful piece of information I've ever heard, I honestly don't think i could have lived another minute without knowing that Burger King is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur than Holland, I've gotta go tell my friends!

<eye roll insert>

[hyyyper]

Originally posted by gouldy

Well I can honestly say thats the most useful piece of information I've ever heard, I honestly don't think i could have lived another minute without knowing that Burger King is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur than Holland, I've gotta go tell my friends!

just wanted to let you know, i case you drop by the kualu lumpur internation airport (KLIA)

I had a KFC last year at Thorpe Park. It was disgusting. Even my daughter nor her friend didn't like it. It has put all of us off KFC entirely. The food was undercooked, exceptionally greasy even for a KFC, and we complained to the duty manager who offered to replace the "meal". I requested my money back, and we went for a pizza instead.

As for the KFC adverts, the latest one over here depicts a family -at home- sitting at the table. The lady of the house is seen bringing a tray full of KFC to the family for their evening meal. Now, unless the KFC shop is below the familys house, or within 100 yards of it, the meal will be unedible as KFC food goes cold VERY quickly once it's placed inside the cardboard boxes. Unrealistic, cheap and nasty. I'm sure the Colonel would turn in his grave.

"The advert used subtitles to explain what the three call center staff were singing as they munched KFC salads, leading some viewers to complain that it mocked people with speech and hearing impediments."

Proof positive that not only America is full of whiny babies looking for an excuse to get their voice heard - even if for the most ridiculous and moronic things.

"It ended with one of the women answering a phone singing, "Hello, emergency helpline," which prompted others to complain that it implied call center staff were unprofessional."

So much "implication". Theres ALOT of things that are implied on TV. You mean to tell me that British tely (heh) has nothing on TV that implies anything - good or bad? These people need to get a life, and fast.


Im not poking at the UK, but its nice to know we arent the only ones with people willing to go to long, stupid lengths to make their voices heard.

Yeah, but come to think of it, the advert was quite moronic anyway. Imagine 3 overwieght unattractive women trying to sign soul music with a mouth full of Salad. Wasn't the best sight in the world...i'm going to sue!

the country that is responsible for big brother (crap english (now world spread) reality show) is complaining about table manners in commercials? i'll never understand the english lol.....

Originally posted by Real

You mean to tell me that British tely (heh) has nothing on TV that implies anything - good or bad? These people need to get a life, and fast.

Heh, yeah, Monty Python certainly had ZERO tongue-in-cheek moments that implied nothing out of the ordinary. [;)]

okay, so bad manners offend the brittish, but not cross-dressing lumbejacks? wtf?

[coolbeans326]

I think everybody should just stop caring about every little thing. People like this piss me off.

Originally posted by coaster992001

okay, so bad manners offend the brittish, but not cross-dressing lumbejacks? wtf?

Exactly my point.

[gouldy]

Bad manners don't offend the British, they offend posh people, but everything in Britain offends the posh twats, so we largely just ignore them [;)]

"Proof positive that not only America is full of whiny babies..."

America is not full of whiny babies at all.


"These people need to get a life, and fast."

No, they don't and they will never need to!


"...long, stupid lengths to make their voices heard."

These aren't stupid lengths at all. They may be long but there's nothing wrong with that anyways. These are important, good, worthy, helpful and for a cause lengths.

the country that is responsible for big brother (crap english (now world spread) reality show) is complaining about table manners in commercials? i'll never understand the english lol.....

Holland is actualy responsible for Big Brother FYI, you need to get your facts right Sir

Furthermore

"Proof positive that not only America is full of whiny babies..."

America is not full of whiny babies at all.

Heres two straight off the top...George Bush...Tyler Eaves

Bad manners don't offend the British, they offend posh people, but everything in Britain offends the posh twats, so we largely just ignore them

But you have to love some posh people eh Gouldy? When there is usualy some (r) reality TV show like Wife Swap and a posh woman gets put in with some White Trash (the fat ugly as sin, smokers adidas trousers, greasy hair, talk like the woman from 'Gimme a man after midnight') and the Posh woman always looks down the white trash people and is just humourous. My Mum usualy calls the posh person a snob, i just disagree and say the posh woman is speaking the truth

[gouldy]

well I think "love" is a stong word Egde, cus no, actually I don't think you do have to "love" some posh people, you do have to "laugh at" most of them though [:)], don't their voices crack you up? Just their general attitude towards everything?

I tell you whats funnier, people who aren't posh, but believe unto themselves, that they are Driving round in their A-class Mercs, with a complete disregard for the fact that other people have to use the road. And believing they have friends in high circles when really the highest up person they know is the local tennis clubs tennis umpire

what the hell do posh and twat mean?! lol.. well.. we americans have a definition for twat too but what's yours? i dont think anyone on here would like me to post our meaning lol..

and i could have sworn that big brother came from england.. i dunno. i guess it was one of the first countries to have it? beats me lol..

lol WOW this is great topic how did it change from kfc bad to poshes and twats