# Cheeky Chicken Apology Ads KFC Apologizes for Its UK Chicken Shortage with a Clever Ad By Katherine Pendrill | Published 2018-02-24 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chicken-shortage References: [foodbeast](https://www.foodbeast.com/news/kfc-fck/) & [grubstreet](http://www.grubstreet.com/2018/02/kfc-apologizes-for-uk-chicken-shortage-with-fkc-we-are-sorry-ad.html) After temporarily closing 700 locations in the UK due to a chicken shortage, [KFC](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/believe-in-chicken) has found a clever way to reassure its fans. Instead of a formal note of a apology from its head office, the brand has crafted a humorous ad that is helping to smooth things over with its UK customers. Following the chicken shortage and subsequent store closures, KFC released a [full-page apology ad](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfc-spain-1) in the UK's Sun and Metro papers. The ad shows an empty [KFC bucket](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/holiday-chicken-bucket), however instead of the brand's famous initials, the bucket simply reads 'FCK.' Below the bucket is a block of text apologizing for the lack of chicken and reassuring fans that "it’s been a hell of a week, but we’re making progress." The clever ad is already a hit in the UK and demonstrates one of the more graceful ways brands are able to make light of a PR nightmare. Image Credit: *KFC.* ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.2/10 - Popularity: 41% | Activity: 47% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Humor](https://www.trendhunter.com/humor) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Humorous Apology Advertising:** Brands have the opportunity to use humor and creativity when crafting apology ads to smooth over customer complaints and negative PR. - **Creative Crisis Management:** Brands can benefit from creative strategies to manage crisis and negative situations, such as crafting clever and funny ads to apologize. - **Brand Reputation Management:** Brands can utilize creative crisis management strategies such as humorous and clever apology ads to maintain and improve their reputation with customers. ### Who This Affects Most - **Fast Food:** The fast food industry can benefit from creative crisis management strategies such as using humor in apology ads to maintain and improve brand loyalty and reputation with customers. - **Advertising and Marketing:** The advertising and marketing industry has an opportunity to capitalize on assisting brands with creative and clever crisis management strategies such as humorous apology ads. - **Public Relations:** The public relations industry can utilize creative strategies for managing negative PR and crisis situations such as developing witty and humorous apology advertisements. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Chicken-Centered Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/believe-in-chicken.md) - [Dusty Advertising Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfc-spain.md) - [Unusual Fast Food Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/believe-campaign.md) - [Complimentary Fried Chicken Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfc-free-bucket-on-us.md) - [QSR Hotel Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfc-staycation.md) - [Overthinking Chicken Buckets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfc-brainwave-bucket.md) - [Emotive Fried Chicken Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfcs-enjoy-its-beautiful.md) - [QSR Summer Hours Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfc-canada1.md) - [Cake-Themed Commercials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfc-thailands-birthday-ad.md)