KFC Canada admitted that its soggy fries 'suck,' and held a mock funeral for them

• "Old KFC fries suck," the company's Canadian arm said in a video.
• It's holding a "funeral" for its old fries as it launches a new recipe for fries it says are crispy and "boldly seasoned."
• Customers are divided on the morbid marketing campaign and some are skeptical about the new fries.

KFC Canada has admitted that its old "soggy" fries weren't all that good as it replaces them with a crispier, seasoned version.

"Old KFC fries suck," the company said in one video. In another, it displayed tweets from customers describing them as "so bland."

KFC Canada said in an accompanying press release that it was ending its "soggy fry era" with a new recipe to make fries that are crispy and "boldly seasoned."

The marketing move echoes a similar campaign by KFC UK in 2014, in which it launched adverts featuring tweets criticizing its fries to promote the launch of new thicker and chunkier fries.

KFC Canada said that it also sent a hearse of old fries through some of Toronto's busiest areas so that people could "pay their final disrespects" to the old fries. It's also live-streaming a "funeral" on Tuesday.

"We knew that Canadians hated our Old Fries and so we saw this as an opportunity to show our fans we hear them by changing up this menu item and launching it in a fun way," Azim Akhtar, KFC Canada's director of marketing, said in a statement.

"This satirical campaign allows us to introduce an exciting new product that we're proud of, while making light of a product that wasn't as beloved by Canadians."

But some social-media users have criticized the marketing campaign, calling the funeral procession "disrespectful" and "repulsive."

They're also divided on whether the new fries taste better. Some customers claim that they're too salty, some say they aren't seasoned enough, and some think they're still soggy. Other people, however, say the new fries are a big improvement on the old ones.

KFC faced backlash when it rolled out its Secret Recipe Fries in the US in 2020 as a replacement to its potato wedges. It says that the seasoned fries are "crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside," but people complained that the wedges had helped KFC stand out from other fast-food chains and were sad to see the menu item go. Reviewers for Insider in 2021 complimented the fries' crispy exterior but said they weren't very salty.