KFC says sorry for Kristallnacht chicken & cheese promotion

In this age of social media pile-ons, brands tend to be over-cautious about upsetting people, but it’s alarming how regularly they still seem to forget their heads entirely.

Someone at KFC Germany thought it was a good idea to mark the 9^th November anniversary of Kristallnacht – in which Nazi paramilitaries unleashed a series of attacks on Germany’s Jewish population – with a special offer on fried chicken and cheese.

The message read, “Commemoration of Kristallnacht – treat yourself to more soft cheese and crispy chicken. Now at KFCheese!”

KFC is blaming a system error for the beyond offensive message, but there’s been a human error somewhere along the way. The incident brutally exposes the limits of automation: apparently the fast food chain’s computer system has a push notification linked to notable days in the national calendar.