(Bloomberg) — Colonel Sanders, dead for more than three decades, is back on television promoting KFC. Well, almost — the fried-chicken chain will have comedian Darrell Hammond portray the company’s bearded founder in a new set of ads running on TV and social media. The move is part of an effort to update the chain’s restaurants and packaging, with newly-designed chicken buckets, bags and boxes.
KFC, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, follows McDonald’s Corp. in trying to attract new customers with personalities from fast food’s past. A reimagined version of McDonald’s Hamburglar began appearing on social media this month to promote the chain’s third-pound burgers. Wendy’s Co. also introduced a real-life version of its namesake character in recent years.
Yum! Brands Inc, which owns KFC, is putting its marketing muscle behind the chain after an earlier effort to revamp Taco Bell. The company agreed to invest $185 million in its KFC domestic franchised stores earlier this year. Unlike McDonald’s, which is still struggling, the chain has seen an uptick in revenue. Same-store sales for KFC, outside of China, rose 5 percent in the company’s latest quarter.
“The Colonel has always been at the core of everything we do here at Kentucky Fried Chicken,” Kevin Hochman, chief marketing officer for KFC’s US operations, said in a statement. “The 75th anniversary is the perfect time to give him back to the people and remind everyone of what we’re all about.”
