Mia Patel
KFC has released a series of commercials promoting its limited-edition Kentucky Fried Chicken & Waffles menu item. The commercials feature an actor portraying Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of KFC, alongside a personified bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's Original Syrup. The commercials have included parodies of famous love songs and dance scenes from the 1980s film Dirty Dancing, with actors such as Craig Fleming, George Hamilton, and Christopher Boyer playing the role of Colonel Sanders.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of actor in KFC Chicken and Waffles commercial | Craig Fleming |
| Name of the character played by the actor | Colonel Harland Sanders |
| Name of the song in the commercial | "I'm Your Lady" by Celine Dion |
| Name of the campaign | "The Most Delicious Union" |
| Creative Agency | Wieden & Kennedy Portland |
| Other actors who have played Colonel Sanders | George Hamilton, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Christopher Boyer, Jason Alexander |
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What You'll Learn
Craig Fleming plays Colonel Sanders
Craig Fleming is the actor behind Colonel Sanders in the KFC commercials promoting Kentucky Fried Chicken & Waffles. The commercials see Fleming dressed as Colonel Harland Sanders, dancing and bonding with Mrs. Butterworth – a bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup. In one commercial, Fleming and Mrs. Butterworth recreate the iconic dance from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, with the bottle of syrup in the place of Baby Houseman. In another, the pair share a special connection as they gaze into each other's eyes, and the Colonel tenderly caresses Mrs. Butterworth's cheek to the tune of Celine Dion's "I'm Your Lady".
Fleming is not the first actor to play Colonel Sanders in KFC commercials. In fact, the brand has a history of tapping celebrities to play the Colonel. In 2018, for example, KFC brought back actor George Hamilton as the Extra Crispy Colonel and featured Game of Thrones actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as the Double Crispy Colonel. During the 2018 holiday season, KFC cast a relatively unknown actor, Christopher Boyer, to play the Value Colonel and promote affordable meals.
KFC's decision to bring back the Colonel mascot has been a hit with consumers and helped the brand stand out in the fast-food market. The Colonel Sanders character has become a powerful marketing tool for KFC, allowing the brand to tap into consumers' interest in nostalgia. By dressing Fleming as the Colonel, KFC links its Chicken & Waffles product to the nostalgia for the '80s and '90s, the eras when millennial consumers grew up.
The commercials starring Craig Fleming as Colonel Sanders also spoof well-known love songs from the past, such as "The Power of Love" popularized by Celine Dion in the 90s. In addition to the Dirty Dancing-inspired commercial, another ad features the song "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers. These parodies add to the quirky and comical nature of KFC's marketing campaigns, capturing the interest of consumers with their familiarity and humour.
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Colonel Sanders dances with Mrs Butterworth
In a series of KFC commercials promoting Kentucky Fried Chicken & Waffles, actor Craig Fleming portrays Colonel Sanders, dancing and flirting with a bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup. The first commercial features the iconic pair recreating the famous Dirty Dancing lift to the song "(I've Had) The Time of My Life." The second spot, set to Celine Dion's "I Am Your Lady," showcases a tender connection between the Colonel and Mrs. Butterworth, ending with an almost-kiss as they lean in, only to cut to a shot of waffles drenched in syrup.
The campaign, titled "The Most Delicious Union," was created by Wieden & Kennedy Portland. It continues KFC's quirky marketing strategy, leveraging nostalgia and spoofing well-known love songs and scenes from the '80s and '90s. The dancing Mrs. Butterworth bottle is not the first time KFC has brought condiments to life, previously introducing Colonel Bear, a talking bear-shaped honey bottle.
In the commercials, Craig Fleming, dressed as the iconic Colonel, charms audiences with his playful interpretation of the beloved founder of KFC, Colonel Harland Sanders. Fleming's performance adds a whimsical touch to the ads, capturing the attention of viewers and leaving a memorable impression.
The choice to cast a relatively unknown actor like Craig Fleming as Colonel Sanders is a strategic move by KFC. While the brand has featured notable celebrities such as George Hamilton and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson in previous campaigns, using a lesser-known actor for the Chicken & Waffles commercials creates a sense of intrigue and curiosity among fans. This decision aligns with KFC's history of surprising and entertaining audiences with their creative advertising choices, ensuring that their messages resonate long after the commercials end.
Through the whimsical partnership of Colonel Sanders and Mrs. Butterworth, KFC has once again demonstrated its mastery of creative marketing. By combining nostalgia, humour, and a dash of surrealism, the brand has crafted commercials that not only promote their limited-time menu item but also leave a lasting impression, reminding us that sometimes, the most delicious unions are those that delight and surprise us.
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KFC's quirky marketing strategy
KFC is a fast-food franchise with a presence in over 150 countries. The company's marketing strategy is renowned for its consistency, adaptation, and innovation. The brand's identity revolves around a few core elements: the iconic Colonel Sanders, the secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices, and the tagline "Finger Lickin' Good".
KFC has employed quirky marketing strategies to engage with a younger audience and reinforce its playful persona. For instance, the brand's Twitter account follows only 11 people: five Spice Girls and six men named Herb—a nod to its secret recipe. In another instance, KFC India launched a life-size wax replica of Colonel Sanders at a famous wax museum in Delhi, enticing visitors and inspiring fans to spread the brand.
KFC has also effectively utilized digital marketing and social media. During a chicken shortage in the UK in 2018, the company faced a public relations crisis. KFC's response was a humorous apology in the form of an ad that rearranged their logo to spell "FCK". This transparency and humor resonated with the public and turned a potential disaster into a positive brand moment.
In Asia, KFC launched a Mexican-inspired dish called the Olé Olé Rice Wrap, marketed with a Facebook Live gameshow, the Olé Olé Hour. In Japan, KFC announced via Twitter that they would be selling a new product: chicken bones for use in hot pots and ramen. The tweet, dated April 1st, indicated that the product was an April Fool's joke. KFC also released the I Love You, Colonel Sanders! (ILYCS) online game, a dating simulator that allows players to date Colonel Sanders.
KFC has adapted its menu to cater to local tastes and integrate into the local food culture. In China, the brand included traditional Chinese dishes alongside its standard offerings. KFC has also leveraged technology and data analytics to enhance the customer experience and marketing efforts. The brand's mobile app allows customers to place orders, earn rewards, and receive personalized offers. KFC has also experimented with facial recognition technology, positioning itself as a forward-thinking brand.
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Celebrities playing Colonel Sanders
KFC has had a long list of celebrities play Colonel Sanders in its commercials. In May 2015, the fast-food giant started casting different actors and comedians to play their beloved founder every few months. The trademark white hair, black-rimmed glasses, and classic suit have helped make the Colonel one of the world's most recognizable mascots.
One of the first actors to play the Colonel was Darrell Hammond, known for his talent as an impressionist on Saturday Night Live. Hammond believed he would be playing the role long-term and even did extensive research to do the part justice. However, he was replaced by another SNL alum, Norm Macdonald, just a few months later. Macdonald's self-aware version poked fun at the campaign, claiming that he was the "real" Colonel Sanders and that Hammond's Colonel was an "impostor".
Since then, many other celebrities have played the Colonel, including comedians Jim Gaffigan, Rob Riggle, and George Hamilton; actors Billy Zane, Rob Lowe, Vincent Kartheiser, and Sean Astin; WWE wrestlers Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Shawn Michaels, and Kurt Angle; and country singer Reba McEntire.
The most recent actor to play Colonel Sanders is Craig Fleming, who stars in the KFC commercials promoting Chicken & Waffles alongside a bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup.
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KFC's Colonel Sanders love songs
KFC has released a series of commercials featuring Colonel Sanders, the brand's iconic founder, that parody well-known love songs. In one such ad, titled "What's for Dinner?", actor, comedian, and director Jason Alexander, known for his role in "Seinfeld," portrays the "Family Colonel." The spot parodies classic sitcoms and features Alexander dancing with Mrs. Butterworth, a bottle of syrup.
In another set of commercials promoting Kentucky Fried Chicken & Waffles, KFC spoofs the famous lift scene from the 1980s film "Dirty Dancing." In one version, Colonel Sanders, played by actor Craig Fleming, dances with Mrs. Butterworth to the tune of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life." In a second ad, the song "The Power of Love," popularized by Celine Dion in the 1990s, serves as the backdrop for a flirty connection between Colonel Sanders and Mrs. Butterworth.
These lighthearted and quirky commercials are part of KFC's strategy to make Colonel Sanders a "part of pop culture" and to appeal to younger generations, such as Gen Zers, who are showing a strong interest in fast food. KFC has tapped various celebrities to play the Colonel, including George Hamilton as the Extra Crispy Colonel and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as the Double Crispy Colonel.
In addition to these commercials, KFC has also ventured into the world of gaming with "I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin' Good Dating Simulator." The game, released in 2019, is a parody of traditional dating sims, where players pursue a romantic relationship with a fictionalized Colonel Sanders, portrayed as an attractive classmate at a cooking school. While the game received mixed reviews, it successfully generated public attention for its unique premise.
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Frequently asked questions
The actor in the KFC chicken and waffles commercial is Craig Fleming.
Craig Fleming plays Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of KFC.
The commercial also features a life-size syrup bottle of Mrs. Butterworth, voiced by an unknown actor.
In the commercial, Colonel Sanders dances with and shows affection towards Mrs. Butterworth.
The commercial promotes KFC's limited-edition menu item, Kentucky Fried Chicken & Waffles, by parodying well-known love songs and dance scenes from the past.
