KFC'S Colonel goes 'Dirty Dancing' with Mrs. Butterworth to promote chicken and waffles

And for the first time in a while, brand's spokesmascot is a non-celebrity

Published On
Nov 12, 2018

Editor's Pick

The KFC colonel is having the time of his life.

KFC is promoting Kentucky Fried Chicken & Waffles with a TV spot breaking Sunday that spoofs the famous dance scene from the end of "Dirty Dancing." The roles of Johnny (Patrick Swayze) and Baby (Jennifer Grey) are portrayed by Col. Sanders and Mrs. Butterworth of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup, which is now owned by Conagra Brands. The dance moves aren't on par with the original, in part because a bottle of syrup doesn't have legs. (Moreover, in advertising, they're not exactly original, as we saw He-Man and Skeletor do the same for MoneySuperMarket.com in the U.K. and Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. tango for an NFL Super Bowl ad). 

And in a departure from most of KFC's recent campaigns, Col. Sanders isn't portrayed by a well-known celebrity. Actor Craig Fleming fills the role in this spot, with a voiceover that declares the limited-time pairing "the most delicious union of all time." The campaign is the latest KFC work from Wieden & Kennedy Portland.

KFC says it went through 15 different variations of waffles before deciding on Belgian Liege-style waffles, which are made with a yeast-raised dough instead of batter and include pearl sugar imported from Belgium. The waffles are sweeter and doughier than American-style waffles, KFC U.S. Head Chef Bob Das said in a statement.

Kentucky Fried Chicken & Waffles are set to be sold from Nov. 12 through Dec. 31, KFC said. Meals including fried chicken or tenders, waffles and a side of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup start at $5.49. There's also a $5.99 sandwich with two waffles in place of the bread and a Hot Honey fried chicken breast fillet.

Meanwhile, over in the U.K., the fast feeder saw a more antagonistic pairing for its holiday ad, in which a chicken faces off00with a turkey. 

 

Credits

Date
Nov 12, 2018
Client :
KFC
Director :
The Argentines
Agency :
Wieden & Kennedy-Portland
Production Company :
Bob Industries
Creative Director :
Freddie Powell
Creative Director :
Jarrod Higgins
Copywriter :
Shaine Edwards
Art Director :
Laura Wood
Producer :
Ben Grylewicz
Media :
Alex Barwick
Media :
Anjali Patel
Media :
Emily Dalton
Media :
Samantha Horvath
Strategy :
Britton Taylor
Strategy :
Andrew Clayton
Strategy :
Scott Woodhouse
Account Team :
Jesse Johnson
Account Team :
Kimmy Cunningham
Account Team :
Megan Riehl
Account Team :
Lindsey Warner
Executive Producer :
TK Knowles
Executive Producer :
John O’Grady
Line Producer :
Brian Etting
Director of Photography :
Bob Yeoman
Editorial Company :
Joint
Editor :
Kelly Lyon
Post Producer :
Chris Giraud
Post Executive Producer :
Leslie Carthy
VFX Company :
Joint
VFX Company :
KEVIN
VFX Supervisor :
Alex Thiesen
VFX Supervisor :
Tim Davies
Flame Artist :
Leif Peterson
Flame Artist :
Robert Murdock
VFX Producer :
Jennifer Catalino
VFX Producer :
Samantha Hernandez
Titles/Graphics :
Joint
Mix Company :
Joint
Mixer :
Noah Woodburn

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