Kentucky Fried Chicken Forced to Change Name to KFC-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
The government forced Kentucky Fried Chicken to Change its name to KFC because the restaurant chain doesn’t use real chickens, or because it uses genetically modified chickens.
The Truth:
Kentucky Friend Chicken changed its name to KFC in 1991 — but the government didn’t make the restaurant do it.
Rather, the name change was a marketing move to broaden the restaurant’s appeal beyond just chicken. Highbeam Business reported on the name change in February 1991:
KFC shuns `fried’ image with new name
LAS VEGAS–Aiming to modernize its down-home image and broaden its appeal, Kentucky Fried Chicken has changed its name to KFC on all graphics, advertising and packaging materials.
The use of the initials KFC allows the company to remove the word “fried” from its moniker, a word synonymous with “unhealthy” and “high cholesterol” in the minds of many consumers.
“We are dramatically changing our menu, our restaurants and the way customers think of us,” said KFC senior marketing vice president Bill McDonald in a prepared statement. “And we wanted our graphics to reflect the new KFC.”
KFC USA President Kyle Craig announced the change during the company’s annual franchisee convention here, which more than 2,000 KFC owners, operators and franchisees attended. The name change will be accompanied by a fresher, more up-to-date look for KFC, with the traditional Kentucky Fried Chicken logo still used on some packaging but not prominently displayed. …
Claims that KFC changed its name because using “chicken” was misleading, or that it uses genetically modified chickens, have persisted for decades.
TruthorFiction.com previously investigated claims that KFC uses genetically modified chickens and found them to be false. Click here to read the full report.