Brands use humour, ply causes to keep politics out of election pitch

McDonald's, KFC, Samsonite, Benetton and others play safe even as they look to maximise brand salience in election season

How does one keep the brand chatter active and buzzing in election season and yet steer clear of controversy? Check out the brands that are doing just that. McDonald’s campaign #MakeYourChoice has a bunch of irate customers demanding what they ordered instead of being dumped with the choices made by the restaurant staff, only to be told that if they don’t vote, they lose the right to choose. KFC has twisted the brand’s tagline of ‘Finger lickin’ good’ to ‘Finger inkin’ good’. 

Smart lines, humour or wrapping a cause around the message helps keep the narrative neutral say experts. But