From George Costanza to Colonel Sanders: Jason Alexander is KFC's newest 'founder'

The 'Seinfeld' star dons the white hair and beard in sitcom-style ad

Published On
Aug 06, 2018

Editor's Pick

Jason Alexander is the newest celebrity to hawk KFC.

The "Seinfeld" star is promoting $20 Fill Up meals in sitcom-style "What's for Dinner?" ads breaking Monday.

The campaign featuring Alexander, best known for playing George Costanza on "Seinfeld," includes a one-minute commercial that's like the opening credits of a 1980s sitcom. In the spot, released Monday, parental roles and those of others in the cast, like the ever-present nosy neighbor, can apparently be filled by the colonel. There's also a somewhat creepy couch that we'll let you see for yourself. Another spot depicts him presenting an unusually wide tray of KFC's latest offerings--with unusually long arms to match.

"As the son of two working parents, there were plenty of dinnertimes when a bucket of chicken and all the fixins saved the day," Alexander said in a statement. "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."

(Sorry, "Seinfeld" fans: Alexander doesn't grab any discarded chicken from the trash can in the spots released Monday.)

This isn't Alexander's first time in food-related ads. He's promoted Jenny Craig and Rold Gold pretzels and was even in a Miller Lite commercial with Yogi Berra in 1987, before he was on "Seinfeld." Last year, Alexander and his son had a series called "Dinner with Dad" on Freeform.

Alexander is the latest in a seemingly never-ending list of celebrities appearing in the KFC campaign from Wieden & Kennedy Portland. Reba McEntire became the first female colonel at the beginning of the year, and then George Hamilton returned in April as the Extra Crispy Colonel. More recently, the Yum Brands chain's commercials have focused on various value meals.

There's a little bit of product news tied to this campaign. The $20 Fill Up now has four versions: new boneless breast filets, as well as Original Recipe chicken, Extra Crispy chicken and Extra Crispy tenders, each with sides and biscuits.

KFC's second-quarter U.S. same-store sales rose 1 percent, an improvement from flat same-store sales in the first quarter, according to results Yum released earlier this month.

Credits

Date
Aug 06, 2018
Creative Director :
Ray Loewy
Producer :
Jake Falby
Executive Producer :
Kala Sherman
Composer :
Chip Jenkins
Original Music :
New Math
Music :
APM
Colorist :
Jasmine Vazquez
Color :
Joint
Mixer :
Noah Woodburn
Mix and Sound Company :
Joint
Executive Producer :
Alex Thiesen
Flame Artist :
Pilon Lectez
Flame Artist :
Noah Poole
Flame Artist :
Leif Peterson
Lead Flame Artist :
MB Emigh
VFX Supervisor :
MB Emigh
VFX Company :
Joint
Executive Producer :
Leslie Carthy
Post Producer :
Catherine Liu
Assistant Editor :
Kristy Faris
Editor :
Steve Sprinkel
Editorial Company :
Joint
Director of Photography :
Neil Shapiro
Line Producer :
Josh Porter
Executive Producer :
Eriks Krumins
Director :
The Perlorian Brothers
Production Company :
MJZ
Print Producer :
Denise Hanggi
Art Producer :
Andrea Bakacs
Design Retouching :
Saskia Thompson
Design Retouching :
Frazer Goodbody
Studio Design :
Fazel Sayeh
Studio Design :
Patrick Nistler
Studio Design :
Corey Bade
Studio Design :
Mike Weihs
Creative Operations Manager :
Jane Monaghan
Business Affairs Manager :
Maureen Doyle
Director of Business Affairs :
Amber Lavender
Strategy :
Matt Hisamoto
Strategy :
Scott Woodhouse
Strategy :
Britton Taylor
Brand Management :
Steve Smith
Brand Management :
Meg Riehl
Brand Management :
Kimmy Cunningham
Brand Management :
Rob Archibald
Brand Management :
Jesse Johnson
Producer :
Melissa Nagy
Director of Craft, Film :
Ben Grylewicz
Executive Producer :
Heather Smith Harvey
Copywriter :
Ansel Wallenfang
Copywriter :
Mike Egan
Art Director :
Danielle Delph
Art Director :
Matthew Carroll
Creative Director :
Freddie Powell
Creative Director :
Jarrod Higgins
Executive Creative Director :
Jason Bagley
Executive Creative Director :
Eric Baldwin
Agency :
Wieden & Kennedy-Portland
Brand :
KFC

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Project Type