Latest news with #ChickenLicken
News24
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News24
Chicken Licken cries fowl as ad board rules KFC copied its characters
Chicken Licken has won a complaint against KFC at the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB), after accusing its rival of copying iconic characters from its ad campaigns. The dispute centred on KFC's recent 'All Star Box' YouTube commercial, which Chicken Licken claimed featured lookalikes of its well-known characters Sbu and David 'Legs of Thunder' Mgijimi. The 'All Star Box' ad centres on a protagonist who enjoys a meal while accompanied by clones of himself, emphasising the box meal's value. The storyline introduces two additional characters who observe the protagonist and then decide to order the same meal for themselves. Chicken Licken submitted that KFC's advertisement used characters resembling its own without permission. According to Chicken Licken, these characters are central to its brand image and have been featured in its ads for years. Since KFC and Chicken Licken are direct competitors in the fast-food market, the complainant felt this was a calculated move. It further claimed KFC's ad wasn't just borrowing ideas; it was outright imitation. KFC denied that it had copied anything deliberately and described the ad as a parody meant to highlight the appeal of the 'All Star Box.' No names or products were included in the ad, KFC said, and it didn't mention Chicken Licken at all. A line in the ad used the term 'salty,' which Chicken Licken also took issue with. KFC argued it was slang meaning someone was envious and that it wasn't meant as a jab at Chicken Licken's food. After reviewing the complaint and the ad, the ARB ruled in favour of Chicken Licken. It noted undeniable similarities between the characters in KFC's ad and Chicken Licken's. According to the ARB, KFC undermined its rival's advertising efforts, as both parties are close competitors in the fast-food industry and recycling its original advertising dilutes its marketing value. The ARB said that humour or parody cannot be used as an excuse when it results in copying or exploiting ideas that help identify a competing brand. In its ruling, the board found KFC to be in breach of the advertising code, which specifically bans mimicry that harms a competitor's advertising value. KFC was told to pull the plug on its 'All Star Box' commercial across all platforms immediately.
Mail & Guardian
09-05-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Chantal Sombonos-Van Tonder: ‘All women can have it all'
Continuing the legacy: Chicken Licken CEO Chantal Sombonos-Van Tonder. In a world where success too often comes at the cost of personal sacrifice, Chantal Sombonos-Van Tonder stands as a formidable outlier — a woman who's not just balancing but redefining what it means to be a mother, entrepreneur and business leader in today's South Africa. Chantal has been at the helm of Chicken Licken for nearly two decades, a business that her father George Sombonos started in 1981. 'Chicken Licken is my life, and I am as passionate about it as my father. He once told me that if you believe in something you should be willing to die for it.' She is at the same time unapologetically ambitious and emotionally grounded. A mother of two boys, an entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry, and a role model for women who refuse to choose between family and career. Growing up in a household where money was a scarcity rather than a certainty, Chantal learned the value of resilience. 'Money didn't define my family or my upbringing,' she recalls. 'It was something that was not readily available when I was young, but I learnt to appreciate it when we had it, and to work harder when we didn't.' This foundation didn't make her chase wealth, it taught her to respect it. Today, she speaks of a 'healthy relationship with money' using it with purpose, never frivolity. Holidays, yes, because rest matters. But every cent spent is weighed against long-term dreams. Her view of money is not one of fear, but of ownership. 'Just because you have a lot of money doesn't make you a good person,' she says. 'Your morals and ethics are what stay with you.' That financial philosophy is what underpins her approach as both a business woman and a parent. She intends to raise sons who understand the value of hard work and integrity. 'Nothing in life comes for free,' she says. 'I try to instil that in both of them, that you work for your money. I have a respect for money and what it could help accomplish in life, but I don't allow it to dictate my life.' Her industry — still dominated by men — has offered few female role models. And yet, Chantal didn't wait for the world to make room for her. She recounts how, when she was pregnant with her second child, she was approached by some people asking, 'Is your business for sale?' The unspoken message was clear — motherhood, in their eyes, meant vulnerability. But instead of retreating, Chantal doubled down. And her business, grown with grit, hasn't just survived – it's thrived. Now, she stands as a symbol of what's possible. To her, South African moms are the unsung CEOs of everyday life: multitaskers and motivators. 'I think South Africans absolutely love moms,' she says. 'They are seen as hardworking and driven for their family's needs.' Still, the road is not without frustration. 'There's not a strong female presence in my industry,' she admits. And though she sees women trying to support one another, she acknowledges that real change takes time. 'Networking with other women in my field is difficult,' she says, 'but I do think women are changing. The tide is slowly turning. We're learning to champion each other.' Her message to fellow working mothers is powerful: 'Stay true to yourself and your family and do what makes you happy and whole.' Chantal doesn't chase perfection. 'As long as my children love me and see me as their biggest supporter and their safe space, then I think my work as a mom is done.' She rejects the belief that women must choose between ambition and motherhood. 'All women can have it all — including moms,' she says firmly. She believes women can achieve the same success and, with determination and support, can balance both career and family. And if the system doesn't make space for that, Chantal is one of those rare leaders willing to build a new one.
The Citizen
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Is Cactus Jack tequila or spirit cooler? Regulatory board demands label change
ARB said Cactus Jack could have easily avoided any risk of confusion by using the wording 'tequila sour blend' and 'spirit cooler' on the front label of its product. ARB ruled that Cactus Jack must change its labelling within three months. Picture: Facebook/Dial A Drink ZW The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) has given the makers of alcoholic brand Cactus Jack three months from 16 April 2025 to change its label as it contains misleading information. The front label of Cactus Jack reads 'Tequila' and 'Premium Distilled Tequila.' But the back label says 'Spirit Cooler alcohol volume 12%.' Tequila or Spirit cooler? A consumer approached ARB, stating, 'The front labelling does not mention that this is a spirit cooler. One presumes from the labelling that it is a genuine tequila. 'The labelling is misleading and only on close inspection, when turning the bottle around, do you find it is only 14% spirit cooler'. According to ARB, Cactus Jack replied that it is not advertising the product as a 'Neat Tequila' but rather that 'it purely forms part of our label.' The front label of Cactus Jack. Picture: Supplied Tequila label approved Cactus Jack added that the product label complies fully with the relevant regulations and has been approved by the Department of Agriculture. 'It [Cactus Jack] is entitled to indicate the strength of the alcohol either on the front or back panel of the label, and it has chosen to do so on the back panel in font larger than the prescribed minimum size.' The brand assured ARB that it does use tequila in its product and is compliant with all laws relating to this. The back panel also indicates that the product is a 'tequila sour blend.' ALSO READ: Chicken Licken ad gets green light after being accused of mocking those struggling with mental health [VIDEO] What is inside Cactus Jack? Cactus Jack added that the product is of a 'hazed slightly green nature' while a 'neat' tequila would be labelled 'tequila/spirit distilled from the agave with a minimum alc/vol of 35% in the case of aged tequila (Gold or Amber in appearance) and 43% in the case of Blanco or Silver (transparent or clear in appearance) Tequila as it is known'. Cactus Jack's reply also corrected a mistake made by the complainant: that the product is 12%, not 14%. However, ARB notes that the complainant made a typo, and the complaint is not affected by it. The back label of Cactus Jack. Picture: Supplied Application of the Code of Advertising Practice ARB added that to make their decision, they had to consider two clauses of the Code of Advertising Practice: honesty and misleading claims. 'So, while the advertiser [Cactus Jack] is correct in stipulating the alcohol strength and class of alcohol in close proximity to each other, this does not mean that it can rely on the regulations to justify excluding important information relating to the nature and composition of the product from the front label of the product, if that exclusion is likely to create a false or misleading impression.' ARB said it believes consumers would assume any product with a front label stating 'tequila' and 'premium distilled tequila' is pure or neat tequila with nothing blended into it. ALSO READ: Here's why Cassper's Don Billiato advert was pulled Avoided confusion ARB said Cactus Jack could have easily avoided any risk of confusion by using the wording 'tequila sour blend' and 'spirit cooler' on the front label of its product. 'Using the claims 'Tequila' and 'Premium Distilled Tequila' when the product in question is not even simply a tequila blend but, in fact, a spirit cooler with only 12% alcohol, is unquestionably misleading.' 'The advertiser is instructed to amend its front label so that it does not create the impression that the product is pure tequila. The advertiser has three months to effect such an amendment, in terms of the Procedural Guide. 'Thereafter, members are instructed not to accept any advertising wherein the product is simply described as 'tequila' and/or 'premium distilled tequila.'' NOW READ: Three tips on how to get your return on advertising spend
The Guardian
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Chicken Licken review – happy-go-clucky tale has charm, cheer and a fabulous fox
With a cluster of country music songs and a delicate aesthetic, this is a particularly welcoming and gentle piece of theatre for children aged three to seven. Featuring integrated BSL and a number of deaf actors in the cast, it's a co-production between Polka, Hiccup theatre and Derby theatre who are collectively leading the way in creating inclusive family shows. My four-year old son, Benji, was charmed throughout, although it could do with a few more surprises – something to keep the children on their toes rather than snuggled in their seats. Writer and director Sarah Brigham hasn't stretched the original folk story too much. It's still about a young chick who grows convinced the sky is falling in after an acorn drops on her head. She gets all her farm friends in a bit of a panic. There's a lot of anxious racing around, some cheerful songs led by actor and sound designer Ivan Stott and, eventually, a spot of bother with a very crafty and charming fox. The animals have been reimagined as eccentric humans, with Tim Heywood's richly detailed costumes easily the most striking aspect of the production. Chicken Licken (Phillipa Russell) wears a bright yellow helmet with a few feathers poking out of it, Henny Penny (Laura Goulden) flutters about in a frilly apron and wash cap, and Turkey Lurkey (Stott) becomes a sleepy and forgetful old man, complete with a flat cap. The story is told using a mixture of signing, narration and creative captions projected against some large screens dotted about Rachana Jadhav's cardboard cut-out set. The storytelling is handled well but some of the visual elements feel a little undercooked. My son Benji spent a lot of time carefully listening to the story but not absorbing the whole show in that way that is so particular to the theatre. The puppetry is strong but fleeting. A lovely silhouette puppet show tells the story of Chicken Licken's birth and frustrated attempts at flying. When the fox finally appears, it's as if all the production's theatrical magic has been channelled into a single character. The fox is represented by a puppet that is handled by two actors; one controlling his commanding hands and sly face; the other swishing his luxuriously long tale. Benji is gobsmacked and a little scared – held completely by the story for one gloriously intense, all consuming moment. At Polka theatre, London, until 11 May
The Guardian
27-03-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Weatherwatch: Could global heating wreak havoc on Earth's satellites?
Chicken Licken warned that the sky was falling down, and now the climate crisis might be making that come true. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are cooling and contracting the upper atmosphere, even though these same gases warm the lower atmosphere. A new concern is now up in the thermosphere at around 125-620 miles (200-1,000km) above Earth, where the International Space Station and about 11,900 satellites are in low Earth orbit, with the number of satellites rapidly increasing. As the thermosphere contracts, it reduces the drag, which pulls space junk and old satellites down to lower altitudes where they eventually burn up, removing them from orbit. But with less drag in the thermosphere, more satellites are left in orbit, which increases the risks of collisions between satellites. A collision could give off showers of debris that remain in orbit for decades or centuries, threatening a runaway cascade of collisions with so much debris that no satellite would be able to safely operate there. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Estimates suggest that at the current rate of greenhouse emissions, the number of satellites that could safely remain in orbit would be reduced by at least half by the end of this century.
