KFC plucks Jason Alexander to be its new Colonel and puts him in cheesy 80s-style ad
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has tapped yet another star to promote its brand dressed as Colonel Sanders – former Seinfeld star Jason Alexander.
Jason Alexander as Colonel Sanders
Alexander dons the Colonel Harland Sanders white suit, wig and beard combo to promote the KFC's $20 Fill Ups, available in four different varieties, and he does it without saying a word. Instead he’s the borderline creepy star of a spot that plays exactly like a cheesy sitcom theme from the 80s.
The 60-second spot by Wieden+Kennedy, which looks like an alternate version of Adult Swim’s bizarre ‘Too Many Cooks’ parody, features an upbeat tune singing Alexander’s Colonel’s arrival at a perfect 80s family home. In it, the song first asks ‘What’s for Dinner?’ before introducing the latest Colonel. The happy family welcomes him in as he brings chicken for dinner. But, as the song continues, they don’t want him to leave after dinner, so they play Pictionary, and then slowly make him part of the family.
The Colonel is seen helping with auto repairs (by handing a drumstick rather than a wrench), having phone chats with the teenaged daughter, offering chicken whenever chores don’t get done, and throwing chicken rather than baseballs in a game of catch.
Things really get weird when the Colonel starts becoming members of the neighborhood and family, like the postman, nosy neighbor and eventually the mom, dad and the couch.
Alexander gets a chance to speak on a version that promotes the $20 Fill Ups as he carries in a ridiculously large tray with overly long arms.
"I am all-too familiar with the challenge of family dinner," said Andrea Zahumensky, chief marketing officer, KFC US. "With four chicken meals to choose from and each at only $20, we are continuing KFC's tradition of providing an easy dinnertime solution for families at a great value – and there's no better person to spread the word about our new 'family of four' in a sitcom setting than comedy extraordinaire Jason Alexander!"
Alexander's background as a star of one of the greatest sitcoms of all time made him the perfect choice to play KFC's 'Family Colonel' and bring this family dinner conundrum to life, according to a release.
"As the son of two working parents, there were plenty of dinner times when a bucket of chicken and all the fixins saved the day," said Jason Alexander. "It's been fun to combine my personal love for KFC with my sitcom experience into a new take on the role of Colonel Sanders."
