KFC Canada & Courage Ditch Etiquette to Go All In on 'Finger Lickin’ Good'

No forks. No rules. No apologies.

KFC’s newest ad campaign titled “Sorry Manners” wants you to forget everything you know about dining etiquette.

Instead, it invites you to embrace the finger-licking chaos.

Created with creative agency Courage, the campaign brings the brand’s long-running “Finger Lickin’ Good” tagline into an unapologetically messy, visually decadent world.

Debuting this week, the hero spot is set in a Bridgerton-style dinner party gone rogue.

It comes complete with powdered wigs, corsets, chandeliers, and guests going elbow-deep into a bucket of chicken.

“This campaign was born from a simple but powerful truth: KFC is not something you nibble politely,” Courage CCO Dhaval Bhatt said.

"One of the things I love about this campaign is that it’s simple, it’s fun and it finds a fresh, attention-grabbing way to build on one of the oldest and iconic taglines in our business, ‘It’s Finger Lickin’ Good’.

It isn’t really an apology, it’s a declaration.”

KFC Canada’s CMO Katherine Bond-Debicki reinforced these statements, saying "Sorry, Manners" isn't just reminding people of what makes KFC irresistible.

"We’re showing them."

The campaign marks the latest chapter in the brand’s “Unapologetically KFC” platform, which leans into the messy, indulgent spirit of fried chicken fandom while pushing back against overly polished, category-safe advertising.

'Fine' Dining

Shot in Prague inside a centuries-old castle, the ad uses historic architecture and lush costume design to juxtapose the restraint of high society with the full-on abandon of eating KFC by hand.

It starts off with guests coming from far and wide to gather at a banquet, and the KFC feast begins as soon as the food covers come off.

Every person in the room starts grabbing KFC chicken, tenders, and sandwiches off the table to eat them by hand — the way they're meant to be eaten. 

The spot culminates in a glorious symphony of content faces, flying tenders, and finger-lickin' goodness.

“There’s something surreal and hilarious about directing a KFC spot in a centuries-old castle,” said director Martin Werner of Partners Film.

“That contrast is what makes the campaign bold.”

The creative rollout spans TV, digital, OOH, and social in Canada.

Fans can expect more from the “Unapologetically KFC” platform later this year.

Our Take: Can Messy Marketing Win Big?

True to its name, “Sorry Manners” is more than a jab at proper dining.

It sends a bigger message about choosing joy over judgment, especially when it comes to finger-lickin' good food. 

The campaign is another example of how humor in marketing can challenge category norms while staying true to brand DNA.

“Sorry Manners” works because it taps into something real: food this good deserves to be eaten with reckless abandon.

And in an age of hyper-styled food ads, it’s refreshing to see a brand double down on the joys of indulgence.

In other news, DUDE Wipes launched a new campaign that teaches us a history lesson on the "Evolution of Wiping."

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