Wieden + Kennedy has been creating a lot of fun around its choices of celebrities to play KFC’s Colonel Sanders in the US, including perennially tanned George Hamilton to promote extra crispy, Mad Men heartthrob, Vincent Kartheiser, to promote the return of Nashville Hot Chicken and man’s man Rob Riggle (a retired United States Marine Corps Reserve officer) to promote KFC buckets.
W+K: KFC’s sunscreen promises to make your own skin extra crispy
Now Billy Zane (aka Titanic’s rich anti-hero, Caledon Hockley) is an all gold Colonel Sanders in W+K’s ad for KFC’s newest flavour, Georgia Gold Honey Mustard BBQ.
“The whole idea of the campaign is that you don’t have to be a millionaire to eat like one. Billy Zane’s playfulness comes through in the ad,” stated KFC chief marketing officer, Kevin Hochman.
The chain of zany Colonels idea is aimed at younger KFC audiences and is linked to KFC’s strategy of keeping the fast food interesting by introducing new flavour varieties regularly.
So far, so good – KFC has experienced nine consecutive quarters of sales growth in the US, and a surge of interest (+45%) by people under 35 from 2015 to 2016.
Watch Billy Zane go for gold:
Credits:
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Portland
Production Company: Smith & Jones Films
Director: Ulf Johansson
You might also like
