KFC’s edible nail polish idea is hard to swallow

If there was a contest for the craziest marketing gimmicks, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) would take the crown. From introducing edible cups to releasing designer bags, I thought that KFC had exhausted all possible marketing stunts.

I was wrong. In living up to their ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ slogan,KFC launched their newest product – edible nail polish.

Currently available only in Hong Kong, the varnish comes in two flavours: Original and Hot & Spicy. It works like normal nail polish, only that consumers are encouraged to lick their fingers after applying a coat of it.

As innovative as this product may seem, this level of literalism seems to be a tad over the top for three reasons.

Practicality

Cosmetic consumers may just freak out at the realization that this bottle of edible nail polish cannot be reused once opened. The expiry date per bottle is five days after bottling and the varnish has to be “ingested within five minutes of opening” due to its perishable contents.

With only 300 – 500 of such bottles available in Hong Kong, it is understandable that KFC is pulling off such stunts to woo adventurous millennials. However, it may be far from being popular in the eyes of practical Singaporeans.

Hygiene

Research has shown that potentially harmful bacteria is present in 24 per cent and 15 per cent of nail clippings among males and females respectively. Given that these harmful bacteria can lead to diarrhea and vomiting, will these varnishes still be finger lickin’ good?

Food enthusiast and local undergraduate Stephanie Soh, 21, felt that the concept seemed dubious, even to a point of nasty. She remarked: “It’s like edible underwear.”

Maybe KFC should have stopped at its white chocolate biscuit cups; at least that sounded yummier.

It might not actually taste like chicken

The taste of the varnish appears to be subjective. On an interview done by BBC News, student Twinkle Leung, 18, recommended it as a cure for those KFC cravings.

However, the Hong Kong BBC Team reviewed it and claimed it tasted more like a sauce than anything else. While this is unsurprising, considering the fact that KFC’s original recipe is one of the product’s main ingredients, it seems like the varnish may not work for those in need of a quick chicken fix.

While KFC has pretty much gotten the taste of the sauce right, it is apparent that there are several flaws in its latest product, making it little more than a marketing stunt.

So, are you a chicken extremist who is all set to fly over to Hong Kong for a taste of this, or are you a pragmatist who is already disgusted by KFC’s latest innovation?