Kentucky Fried Chicken Rebrands by Going Retro (and Meta)

One of my earliest memories is from a road trip my family took to Washington D.C. On the way to our nation’s capitol, we hit many highlights of American culture, including a stop at Kentucky Fried Chicken. I will never forget that stop at KFC. Why? Because – after all the greasy, goodness had been consumed and all that remained was a container of gravy – my dad took a straw and drank the gravy like a milkshake. Gravy drinkin’ good. Finger lickin’ good.

KFC received its first federal trademark registration for IT’S FINGER LINCKIN’ GOOD in 1963. Recently, KFC has been working hard to revive its old slogan and iconic mascot, Colonel Sanders. You may have caught the polarizing commercials featuring SNL alum Darrell Hammond.

https://youtu.be/Dh2rHsxYh6U

https://youtu.be/YZflhZNRqSU

The Trust Tree team are big fans of the new advertising campaign.

Along with the new campaign, KFC has also filed a trademark application for IT’S STILL FINGER LICKIN’ GOOD, a tweak on the old slogan that is prominently featured in the new ad campaign.

KFC’s new campaign took a strange, meta turn this week with another SNL alum, Norm MacDonald, taking over for Hammond and claiming to be the real Colonel Sanders.

We write a lot about rebranding. Sometimes that means returning to an old ad campaign in a new way. We love what KFC is doing. Others disagree. Regardless, KFC is likely enjoying all the buzz. Now, checkout MacDonald’s tongue-in-cheek takeover of the role of Colonel Sanders.

https://youtu.be/er_owYCDZUk