KFC’s latest ad has everyone talking – and not in a good way. The fast-food giant’s “All Hail Gravy” campaign features robed figures performing creepy rituals in the woods, dunking a man into a lake of gravy until he transforms into fried chicken. Critics say it looks more like a horror movie than a chicken commercial.
The ad’s cult-like imagery – complete with golden eggs and sinister chanting – has sparked nearly 600 complaints to UK advertising regulators. Parents report their kids are terrified of the spot, with one mother saying her child now refuses to eat chicken. The commercial’s bizarre plot twist (turning humans into food) raises uncomfortable questions. “Are they suggesting the chicken is people?” asked one shocked viewer.
KFC claims the ad targets Gen Z with “playful absurdity,” but many see darker themes. The ritualistic baptism scene and obsession with a gravy “deity” cross into territory some call downright satanic. “They’re not just selling chicken – they’re selling a disturbing worldview,” said cultural commentator Pat Gray. The ad’s director admits they wanted to create “our own symbols,” but critics argue they’ve created a manifesto for brand worship gone mad.
While KFC brags about boosted sales and “modernity scores,” the real victory goes to shock value. The company’s marketing team openly admits they aimed to be polarizing. Mission accomplished. Footage of the gravy-dunking ritual now circulates as meme fodder, with TikTok users joking about “KFC cult recruitment videos.”
The ad’s defenders claim it’s harmless fun in tough times. But when your commercial needs content warnings more than a movie trailer, maybe you’ve lost the plot. The gravy lake scene – complete with a struggling actor being submerged – plays like fast-food waterboarding. It’s not appetizing. It’s disturbing.
This isn’t just bad taste – it’s a warning sign. Corporations now push edgy content that would’ve been unthinkable a decade ago. When fried chicken ads feature pseudo-occult imagery, it shows how far marketers will go for attention. KFC swapped Colonel Sanders’ folksy charm for something much darker.
The campaign’s “believe in chicken” mantra feels particularly tone-deaf. With families struggling to afford groceries, telling people to find meaning in processed meat isn’t inspiring – it’s insulting. The ad’s fantasy world of endless gravy lakes ignores real-world pressures on household budgets.
Ultimately, KFC’s edgelord marketing reveals a deeper problem. When brands stop celebrating their product and start parodying religious devotion, they’ve lost touch with ordinary customers. The Colonel would roll in his grave if he saw his recipe being hawked through creepy cult propaganda. Fried chicken shouldn’t need a side of existential dread.
