This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

KFC's 'Clean Eating Burger' Is Making A Lot Of People Confused

From dirty bird to eating clean.

Want some finger lickin' goodness that's good for you too? Then KFC has the burger of your clean eating dreams.

The fast food chain posted about a new burger from their UK Facebook account. It boasts a 'chia-seeded cauliflower bun', 'unsweetened almond yoghurt', 'ice cube relish', 'spiralised chicken breast' and '100 percent British kale'.

Yum.

Before you get outraged at the state of fried chicken, there is evidence the post is part of a hoax marketing strategy. (The Huffington Post Australia has contacted KFC for confirmation but did not immediately receive a response.)

The burger is supposedly made in collaboration with Figgy Poppleton-Rice, a 'clean eating fanatic' with an Instagram account that is exactly six days old. The Insta feed is a mix of over-the-top motivational quotes and ridiculous 'healthy' food combinations.

So what's the point of all this?

The post is a parody of the 'clean eating' movement, and it's trying to get us to realise how darn good that fried chicken tastes compared to the extreme alternative. It's enough to make unsuspecting Facebook users stop scrolling and interact with the brand. And with over 3000 shares and 11,000 comments, the post is definitely doing it's job.

Marketing strategists are competing ever more fiercely for eyeballs so viral content is king. There's been a string of viral videos and posts that have later turned out to be very hidden advertising.

Do you remember the viral video from 2007 of a bride having a 'massive wig out' over her hairstyle, where she hacks off her own hair on her big day? It was actually laying the groundwork for advertising Sunsilk hair products.

A few years ago, a video where 'strangers' were asked to kiss on camera for the first time did the rounds, and it turned out to be an ad for a clothing company, Wren.

Even that viral Ellen selfie at the Oscars in 2014 was a part of Samsung's sponsorship deal.

The lesson here is your fried chicken is safe, it's just marketing.

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