KFC is bringing back its popular ‘It’s finger lickin’ good’ tagline for the first time since dropping it last year.

The line was temporarily withdrawn as the brand decided it was “inappropriate” to encourage finger licking in the middle of a pandemic as it breached hygiene advice.

However, with restaurants in England due to reopen next week the line is now being resurrected and will feature in the brand’s latest advertising campaign, ‘Your Chicken Could Never’.

The campaign, which has been created by Mother, launches tonight (11 May) during ITV’s coverage of the BRIT Awards and showcases the passion KFC fans have for the brand.

A cross-section of advocates appear in the ad, including the hungry diners who called 999 when KFC ran out of chicken, and those who have made their own KFC-themed merchandise, which is all set to a Barry White soundtrack.

The campaign will run across TV, radio, digital and social, with KFC’s famous slogan appearing in some edits of the ad. Other versions playfully engage with other brands, such as Pepsi.

“We wanted this campaign to celebrate each and every one of our fans. They have been unwavering and constantly show us their dedication in wonderful ways,” says KFC UK and Ireland marketing director Jack Hinchliffe.

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The brand made the decision to drop its logo last August, blurring out the ‘finger lickin’ logo from its bucket of chicken and instead ending on the line: “That thing we always say? Ignore it. For now.”

Talking to Marketing Week last year, KFC UK and Ireland’s head of retail and advertising, Kate Wall said: “We’ve been using that slogan for over 64 years and it’s arguably one of the most famous in the world – for a reason, we know our guests always lick the crumbs off their fingers because the chicken is so delicious.

“This year has thrown everyone – all brands – and we took a bit of a global stance that actually right now our slogan is probably the most inappropriate slogan out there, so we need to stop saying it.”

The fast food chain launched an equally tongue-in-cheek campaign at the end of the first lockdown last year telling people ‘We’re back’.

The ad featured images from customers who had attempted to recreate KFC during quarantine with varying degrees of success.