Burger King says you can thank Buzzfeed and One Direction for return of chicken fries

Fans of Burger King's chicken fries may have the boy band One Direction and the website Buzzfeed to thank for the return of the skinny fried sticks.

At an event to hype a spicy version of the chicken fries coming out this week, Burger King said it decided to resurrect the fries last year after seeing the enthusiasm they generated on social media.

The company pointed to a mention in a Buzzfeed post and a tweet by a One Direction member for generating conversation about chicken fries.

The chain credits the popularity of chicken fries for its recent sales run. Last month, it said chicken fries helped push sales by 7.9 percent at established stores in the U.S. and Canada.