May 19--Darrell Hammond, an alum of "Saturday Night Live," has been hired to portray Colonel Sanders, the white-haired white-suited founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, in TV commercials that debut Monday.
KFC said it was resurrecting the Colonel, who died in 1980, to help celebrate its 75th anniversary. On "SNL," Hammond impersonated public figures such as President Bill Clinton and actor Sean Connery.
KFC's announcement comes less than two weeks after Oak Brook-based McDonald's gave a makeover to its '70s-era mascot Hamburglar.
"The Colonel has always been at the core of everything we do here at Kentucky Fried Chicken," Kevin Hochman, chief marketing officer for KFC in the U.S., said in a statement. "The 75th anniversary is the perfect time to give him back to the people."
Hammond is unrecognizable as Sanders in the 47-second spot, which KFC posted to its Twitter stream, @kfc.
Here's the script:
"Howdy, folks. It's me, Colonel Sanders. I've been gone for awhile, and boy, have things changed. Nowadays you've got your international space station. Your double-sided tape. Your cargo pants. You seen these pants? That's too many pockets. But what you don't always seem to have these days is my Kentucky fried chicken. Well, I'm here to change that, folks. I'm here to make sure my chicken is still as tasty and delicious as it ever was. I'm Colonel Sanders, and I'm back, America. It's still finger-licking good."
KFC is owned by Yum! Brands Inc. of Louisville, Ky. Sales at KFC division stores open at least a year increased 5 percent in the latest quarter, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
byerak@tribpub.com
