Kentucky Fried Chicken television commercials featuring Darrell Hammond as the iconic Colonel Sanders are short lived, as KFC has issued a press release stating Norm Macdonald will take his place in future commercials.
The announcement came on Monday after KFC issued a press release on their website, stating that Norm Macdonald would become the new Colonel. Kevin Hochman,the chief marketing officer for KFC United States, shared why Norm Macdonald was the chosen actor.
“Other than not quite looking like him, his voice being different, and his inability to cook the world’s best chicken, we thought Norm was the perfect choice to play the Real Colonel. I think the fans will agree.”
The change comes after KFC attempts to bring in sales by reintroducing their iconic Colonel Sanders with a comedic twist, hoping to appeal to a new audience. The attempt to use Darrell Hammond turned out more creepy and less funny, which pleased CEO Greg Creed, according to Fox News . The Hammond version of the the Colonel brought awareness to the KFC ads and allows Norm Macdonald to usher in a new era of commercials.
According to Us Weekly , Norm Macdonald is set to portray the “real” Colonel Sanders, prepared to take back his identity after a celebrity impostor (Hammond) took it over.
“It’s come to my attention that there’s an imposter Colonel out there. He’s trying to be me. That’s crazy. They can’t just grab some super funny Hollywood actor, throw a white suit on him, and try to pass him off as the real Colonel Sanders. And I should know, because I am Colonel Sanders.”
The new commercials will advertise “eight pieces of the Colonel’s Original Recipe® chicken, two large orders of mashed potatoes and gravy, one large coleslaw, and four biscuits – all for just $20,” in a less creepy manner than Hammond’s version of the Colonel.
There is no word on whether future commercials will pit Hammond and Macdonald against each other in a Colonel Sanders war.
The new commercials aim to bring humor to the Colonel Sanders role and make him represent the real Sanders as a kind gentleman that is true to the original. It remains to be seen how Macdonald will relate to viewers in comparison to Hammond, or if he will meet the same fate as Hammond.
Which do you prefer, the creepy Colonel Sanders played by Hammond, or Norm Macdonald’s version of the Colonel?
[Photo Courtesy KFC Press Release]
