For a few weeks now, KFC in France has been goading its loyal social media base with threats it was set to launch a new menu item – a bucket full of beef to rival its chicken mainstay.

“We decided to make peace with lovers of #beef, so we’re launching the #BeefBucket soon!,” the company claimed on its Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Apparently, KFC loyalists were so infuriated by the thought of a meaty interloper on their beloved chicken menu that an online petition was started amid threats of boycotts.

However, the whole thing was revealed as a prank – albeit a rather bizarre one – with the company using Valentine’s Day to release an online video that reassured diners of the brand’s commitment to all things poultry as we see the fake Beef Bucket get dynamited.

A voiceover guy – presumably the Colonel himself – reveals: “Today is Valentine’s Day, so I decided to tell the world that I refuse to cook anything else but chicken, “Even if cooking beef could have given me 34 per cent more market share and dozens of new restaurants, I have only one passionate and exclusive love: and it’s you, chicken!”

Interestingly, the spot then finishes with a disclaimer that says the beef in the explosion was actually fake, unlike the chicken in the chain’s tenderloins. Check out the oddball stunt below: