Camden council has faced criticism after allowing one of it’s libraries to be used for filming a KFC advert in a move which opponents say goes directly against the borough’s healthy eating initiatives.
In the stunt, Queen’s Crescent Library was turned into a KFC shop, with book displays swapped for fried chicken branding, including the slogan ‘It’s Finger Lickin’ Good’.
Sustain commercial determinants coordinator Fran Bernhardt told Marketing Beat: “Companies wouldn’t spend millions on advertising to us if it didn’t work. The more unhealthy food adverts we see, the more likely we are to eat and even prefer unhealthy food. In fact, evidence shows that for every additional unhealthy food advert children see, they consume an extra 350 calories from unhealthy food.”
“The good news is it doesn’t have to be this way. Since a number of local governments have implemented healthier food advertising policies, companies have demonstrated they can take the spotlight off unhealthy food and drinks and instead set the stage for adverts that celebrate fruit, veg and nuts. They’ve risen to the challenge and now we need our governments to find the courage to bring in regulations and champion our health.”
The move comes amid ongoing debate around HFSS advertising regulations, with a number of councils including Luton, Tower Hamlets and more banning adverts which feature high fat, salt and sugar food and drink.
“Filiming a KFC advert in a Camden library reads like dystopia fiction, the next chapter in the saga of corporate cooption of community for profit. The scruples of advertising agencies working to promote KFC a brand wreaking havoc on public health and the environment, we already seriously questionable before they rented out Camden’s public library to film a promotional advert,” said Adfree Cities co-director Charlotte Gage.
Na @kfc got me gassed only filming #Camden #Kentishtown #KFC pic.twitter.com/RvVsuMCDOQ
— Aron Kennedy (@AkstyleLondon) March 12, 2024
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What a story. My old library. I did return all my books including the London Transport Golden Jubilee in the 1990s. https://t.co/lq4QuajNuN
— Edward Adoo (@EdwardAdoo) March 16, 2024
A KFC spokesperson told The Standard that the library “remained open to the public for the three days that the temporary set was in place”, adding that “we have strict policies in place and do not and will not ever market to under-18s”.
KFC has been accused of going against efforts to tackle childhood and adolescent obesity by continuing to place outlets of the fast food chains near schools.
A study from Adfree cities earlier this month found that over 80% of billboards, including a high proportion of those advertising junk food items as well as other unhealthy items like alcohol, are located in the poorest areas of the country, which it said fuelled inequalities.
