11 Herbs & Colonels
Over the last decade fast food chains have been stepping up their game when it comes to creative advertising. Take for instance Wendy’s ruthless twitter burns that had everyone talking in 2017, what made these noteworthy was the chain’s ability to generate buzz without spending a dime. While these burns had some of us in tears, what’s truly hilarious is Wendy’s adopted internet-troll culture to help thrust themselves in the conversation with other burger giants (the king and clown) – now thats bold. Not to be outdone, Burger King ran a series of print ads recently that took an expanded look at what “flame broiled” actually means.
While these are great examples of taking creative risks, we feel that one fast food chain has towered above all of the competition over the last 3 years – Kentucky Fried Chicken. One could make the argument that few faces are as recognizable in the fast food world as Colonel Sanders. Back in 2015 KFC decided to give some new life to their iconic spokesperson by hiring SNL alum Darrell Hammond to play the kooky chicken salesman. Unfortunately for us fans, Hammond’s version of the colonel was scraped for a completely new military themed chicken salesman. This pattern continued for the next two-plus years as colonels came and went. As of March 2018, there has been 13 different reimagining of the famed southern fried chicken merchant that has included a female country star, professional wrestlers, and an astronaut.
As we discussed in The Review , we’re excited about the revolving door of colonels and thus had to rank them. So here are all of the KFC Colonels:
DARRELL HAMMOND
Notable Traits:
Whacky • Playful • Kooky
Darrell Hammond has been brilliant as Colonel Sanders. His experience at SNL (where he perfected over 100 impressions) is on full display here as he gives the colonel kooky vibe that feels more right than wrong. While he’s tops on my list, I think I speak for everyone when I say he should have had the chance to do more with the colonel.
RAY LIOTTA
Notable Traits:
Delirious • Edgy • Hilariously Unhinged
Few actors posses command of the camera quite like Ray Liotta. He brought a unique dimension to the character – unpredictability. Liotta made the character less cheery and poppy and reimagined the white suit clad southern gentleman as a neurotic aristocrat. For this original take on the character, Liotta takes the second spot on my list.
ROB RIGGLE
Notable Traits:
Rowdy • High Energy • Intense
Similar to Liotta, Riggle’s impression ramps up the energy. His cartoonish take on the character makes for a fun 30-second spot where he assumes the role of a rowdy football coach who’s hell-bent on refuting every call.
