First Pepsi, now KFC: why brands need to stop featuring competitors in their ads

KFC print ads
(Image credit: KFC)

From McDonald's vs Burger King to Pepsi vs Coca-Cola, some brand rivalries feel as old as time. This might be because brands love poking fun at their competitors in their ads – which, when done well, can be a whole lot of fun. But we've seen a rise in recent months in brands trying to be clever by including their competitor's actual products in their ads, which arguably slips over into the realm of the counterproductive.

First it was Pepsi including an actual Coca-Cola can in its new print ads. And now, KFC has released a series of similar ads featuring fast food customers eating at various fast food restaurants including McDonald's, and licking their fingers. The tagline? "Everything reminds you of KFC" – a reference to the famous tagline, "It's finger lickin' good".

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Daniel John
Design Editor

Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of art, design, branding and lifestyle tech (which often translates to tech made by Apple). He joined in 2020 after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more.