Chicken wars: Chicken Licken wins as KFC’s ‘All Star Box’ ad gets axed
KFC’s parody of 'Doen being Salty'flopped as the ARB ruled in favour of Chicken Licken.
Image: Instagram
The latest round in the fried-chicken fray has seen KFC ordered to pull its cheeky “Let’s get salty” style advert after the advertising board ruling in favour of its rival, Chicken Licken.
Two beloved Chicken Licken characters - the quirky science teacher Sbu and the lightning-paced athlete David “Legs of Thunder” Mgijimi have become more than just brand mascots, so when KFC’s “All Star Box” ad appeared to mimic them; feathers flew.
Chicken Licken claimed that these characters are not just fun extras, they form a central part of Chicken Licken’s brand identity, giving the chain a distinct voice in the very crowded fast-food marketplace.
From parody to copy-cat?
In May 2025, KFC released its “All Star Box” ad. The narrative: a protagonist devours the box meal, then along come two clones who admire his choice, before a KFC staffer asks:
“Done being salty?” The clones reply, “I will have what he’s having” and “Me too.”
Chicken Licken responded by filing a complaint with the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB), arguing that the ad did not simply borrow inspiration, it imitated the look, feel and recognisability of Sbu and Legs of Thunder, thereby riding on Chicken Licken’s goodwill.
KFC defended itself by calling it parody, insisting the characters were generic, weren’t intended to impersonate Chicken Licken’s property, and that “salty” referred to feeling resentful rather than the food.
Chips down for KFC
The ARB ruled in favour of Chicken Licken. It found that KFC’s characters were clearly recognisable as Sbu and Legs of Thunder (or at least close enough) and that the ad didn’t qualify as harmless parody, because it exploited another brand’s advertising equity and could diminish the value of those characters.
As a result, the ad was ordered to be pulled from all platforms, and KFC was instructed to withdraw it immediately.
At the end of the day, the real winners were the public, because while the ad campaign may have been pulled, the buzz and brand recognition has been great entertainment.
IOL Lifestyle