Col. Sanders ad, a little creepy?

[MikeEdgerton]

This is fantastically effective marketing. It inspired almost 100 posts. About a fried chicken joint, on a mandolin site!

And not once did I desire to go out and get some KFC. It works!

[objectsession]

And not once did I desire to go out and get some KFC. It works!

Maybe. But one day, you'll be away from home at a rest stop with a McDonalds and a KFC. You'll be about to buy a Big Mac when you happen to glance down at your mandolin. You'll remember this thread and, without even thinking about it, you'll end up walking out with a bucket of chicken.

I stumbled upon some old (non-Kentucky Fried Chicken) ads when I was responding to the thread earlier . . I think I prefer the modern mildly offensive absurd style to the blatant misinformation of some old ads. (I know, those are just the ones people remember, but still.)

[Tobin]

Hasn't this sort of advertising with corporate mascots been common since the 1950s?

Well, yeah, the use of a mascot or a recognizable spokesperson has been around as long as advertising itself. What I was talking about with "modern marketing" is using an advertisement solely for the sake of creating a buzz, or to stir up emotions, as opposed to simply telling people why they should use your product or service. We've seen the trend grow every year with SuperBowl commercials, which used to be in a league of their own. In the last decade or two, though, advertising has shifted away from the idea of telling people how good your product and prices are.

Nowadays all the advertisers compete with each other for who can make the silliest commercial or the one that people will actually remember. It's no longer good enough to simply tell people that you make a good product at a good price. You have to encase that message within some sort of unique theme that will stand out. And every year it just gets more and more ridiculous. There's no way advertising agencies can go backwards on this, lest their ad campaigns get lost in the mix.

[travellerbytrade]

Yes, he's creepy. Very creepy. And I don't eat at KFC, nor will I start because of this ad. But I've never turned down fried chicken at a summer picnic.

Plus it's full of misinformation and red herrings. The last time $5 filled up your car, my mom was coasting off the overpass into the Sinclair station and telling us kids to lean forward to help get us down the hill. What twenty-something thinks $5 will fill up their car?

And what does liking mandolin music have to do with buying fried chicken? He's not offering his band chicken. If I were the band, I'd tell him to pony up the chicken or we're walking.

[objectsession]

It's no longer good enough to simply tell people that you make a good product at a good price. You have to encase that message within some sort of unique theme that will stand out.

I get what you're saying . . Yes, ads seem sillier, more absurd, and more ironic now. But when you're talking about commercials being entertaining and emotional vs. informative, you're talking about a much longer trend. I mean, maybe, in the 1960s you'd have Tony the Tiger telling you "they're great", but the commercials didn't actually aim to just inform people that Frosted Flakes are great. Otherwise, it'd just be a 2-second ad that said "Frosted Flakes are frosted corn flakes that taste great." Since the beginning of television (and earlier in print), there has been some entertainment value and some amount of absurdity. The old Kentucky Fried Chicken ads do that, too.

[Tobin]

Since the beginning of television (and earlier in print), there has been some entertainment value and some amount of absurdity. The old Kentucky Fried Chicken ads do that, too.

True. It may just be a matter of degree. But in the last few years (I dunno, maybe 10 years?) I've really noticed that commercials have gone off the deep end. Everything is meant to be comical, absurd, or even disturbing.

Side bar: one trend I really dislike is that there's not a single commercial that depicts grown men as intelligent, rational human beings. Any time an advertisement involves a married couple, the husband is depicted as a child-like idiot who can't do anything right, and the wife is the sensible one. It's become a cliche in advertising. I'm sure it was funny when the first few marketers did it, but now it has become de rigeur to the point that it's just expected.

On another related note, have you ever seen the show Happyish? The main character works in advertising and deals with a lot of these issues of modern marketing strategy, and how far it has gone off the deep end. It's actually a pretty brilliant show, although I don't make any claim as to how realistic it is.

The KFC strategy seems to be working pretty well for getting attention, though. The Colonel was always a bit of an odd fellow anyway, and it seems only natural (if not a little disrespectful) to parody him like they're doing now. But at least he was an iconic character that can't be confused with any other chicken chain!

[foldedpath]

Side bar: one trend I really dislike is that there's not a single commercial that depicts grown men as intelligent, rational human beings.

There are a few, but the level of parody might make your point. Like "The Most Interesting Man in the World" commercials, and extra points if you remember the brand name of the beer that series is selling.

[FLATROCK HILL]

This is not a "headlong rush to update the Colonel".

Yes, it is.

Ok...I give up...you are right. This is not a parody of the Colonel. This is an honest, serious attempt to update the image of Harland Sanders.
(I do not have enough hair left that I can afford to tear out any more of it.)

[Chris W.]

There are a few, but the level of parody might make your point. Like "The Most Interesting Man in the World" commercials, and extra points if you remember the brand name of the beer that series is selling.

Dos Equis, of course.

Stay Thirsty my Friends!

[Mandoplumb]

As southern born and southern bred I'm offended by that fake southern accent. I know I'm the old guy they aren't interested in but it don't make me want to eat chicken.

[lenf12]

If they got the accent right, you still wouldn't be buying no KFC.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[Jess L.]

Maybe. But one day, you'll be away from home at a rest stop with a McDonalds and a KFC. You'll be about to buy a Big Mac when you happen to glance down at your mandolin. You'll remember this thread and, without even thinking about it, you'll end up walking out with a bucket of chicken.

You make a good point about the delayed effects of advertising. Stuff sinks into the subconcious and people aren't even aware of it, thus difficult to defend against. If nothing else, KFC is keeping its brand-recognition in the public eye, and that can create future customers years down the road, even if people hate the ads now.

[Timbofood]

No such thing as "bad press"!
But, just the same, I'll stick with Lee's

[OldGus]

Or some cajun Bojangles...

[journeybear]

This is fantastically effective marketing. It inspired almost 100 posts. About a fried chicken joint, on a mandolin site!

So? How many here have gone to KFC as a result? Show of hands! Talking about an ad is one thing: buying the product advertised is another. And your statistical analysis is off, due to multiple posts by several posters. The number of posters to this thread, and even the number of viewers (again, an inflated figure due to multiple views), is a drop in the bucket. Yes, I said bucket.

do most people know why Morton Salt has that girl in a raincoat on the package?

It's to go with the slogan: When it rains it ours. (Not the rain, the salt.)

Ok...I give up...you are right. This is not a parody of the Colonel. This is an honest, serious attempt to update the image of Harland Sanders.

There's no need to get all huffy, pal. You have your opinion, I've got mine, and you know what they say about opinions and the other end of the alimentary canal from where the chicken goes - everyone's got them and most of them stink. Of course that's just my opinion. I didn't say you were wrong, but I disagree with your assessment. You don't need to try and ter me a new one.

But it could very well be we are both right - it's an update and a parody, or an update by way of parody. Anyway, who are we to say what went on in the room when the ad firm pitched this campaign to their client, or how they settled on this approach after previous ones were rejected, or what those were? It's mystifying to me how ad campaigns get greenlighted, when 99.99% have no effect whatsoever on me. I respond to coupons when it comes to fast food chains, that's it. I know what they're selling. Any darn fool does. Whoever these or any ads are aimed at, they don't do anything for me. If anything, they'll make me NOT want to patronize the company or buy the product, because I find the advertising annoying.

Maybe. But one day, you'll be away from home at a rest stop with a McDonalds and a KFC. You'll be about to buy a Big Mac when you happen to glance down at your mandolin. You'll remember this thread and, without even thinking about it, you'll end up walking out with a bucket of chicken.

I won't. I have rarely considered KFC a good value for the money. Any fast food chain, for that matter, but KFC is the most expensive. In the above scenario, if I'm looking for a little tide-me-over till I get to a place where I can have a real meal, it'd be something off the dollar menu at McD's. I understand your point, and some ads do have a way of sinking in and lingering in your subconscious for a long time, but I find their effectiveness easy to resist. I know I'm not a core consumer, and I'm really OK with that.

The big chains are successful in big part due to their ubiquity, which also makes them convenient, as well as their familiarity. And, I suppose, their consistency. They're everywhere; you know what they' it's always the same. That's good enough for a lot of people.

[Petrus]

Dan Akroyd or Bill Murray--for the win!

John Goodman! (Who was coincidentally in two music related films, including O Brother Where Art Thou which gave BG a massive boost ...)

[Petrus]

In regards to the controversy, that's exactly what they were going for.

It may sound odd, but KFC will probably be hoping the new ads will polarize viewers. The CEO of KFC parent company Yum Brands, Greg Creed, said one out of five people hated the Hammond ad campaign. But he added that it was great news "because at least now they have an opinion. They're actually talking about KFC, and you can market to love and hate; you cannot market to indifference."

http://www.businessinsider.com/kfc-b...colonel-2015-8

[Darren Bailey]

As someone who got rid of their TV I feel like I'm looking in on a psychology experiment.

[Bertram Henze]

[tkdboyd]

Wonder if Colonel Sanders used Martha White Flour?

[barry]

Hand raised. Every time this thread heats up, I feel compelled to procure a cardboard bucket of deep fried bird appendages.

[Timbofood]

JB, the Morton slogan is
"When it rains it pours"
Probably a spellcheck error but, just for clarification.

[T.D.Nydn]

Don't knock the "worlds most interesting man"..hey,the dude can parallel park a train,,,,

[JEStanek]

The Most Interesting Man in the World via NPR.

I liked learning about the actor who portrays him, a Vermont dweller!

Jamie

PS. As far as Fried Chicken goes, I prefer a local place or Popeye's Spicy if I have to pick a chain. I love the ads for KFC.

[journeybear]

JB, the Morton slogan is
"When it rains it pours"
Probably a spellcheck error ...

Ya think?!? Spell Check isn't enough; we need Grammar Check!

There's also this, now corrected: They're everywhere; you know what they've got; it's always the same.

Hand raised. Every time this thread heats up, I feel compelled to procure a cardboard bucket of deep fried bird appendages.

Not me. It kills my appetite for chicken. It makes me want to eat just about anything BUT