KFC, also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a popular fast food chain that specializes in fried chicken. One key aspect of the brand's marketing strategy is their iconic mascot: Colonel Sanders. Colonel Sanders, portrayed as an elderly Southern gentleman, has become synonymous with KFC since the 1960s. The initial idea behind creating a mascot was to personify the brand and give it a recognizable face. Colonel Sanders was chosen due to his connection to the brand's history and his embodiment of the restaurant's southern roots. The mascot is usually portrayed wearing a white suit, featuring his signature string tie, glasses, and white mustache.

KFC's Colonel Sanders: The Man, the Myth, the Mascot

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The mascot is usually portrayed wearing a white suit, featuring his signature string tie, glasses, and white mustache. His likeness can be seen on KFC signage, packaging, and advertising campaigns. The mascot has also been portrayed by various actors and comedians in television commercials and other promotional materials.

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The fast food world has its fair share of iconic mascots — the Hamburglar, the Taco Bell chihuahua, the Chick-fil-A cows — but few are as omnipresent as Colonel Sanders. Clad in a dapper white suit with a goatee to match, the avuncular chicken man’s likeness adorns signage (and buckets of chicken) at the chain’s nearly 20,000 locations worldwide.

After years of losing market share to other chains like Chick-fil-A, KFC embarked on a massive rebranding campaign in 2015 that resurrected the Colonel as front-and-center brand spokesperson, rather than just a picture on a box of biscuits. Saturday Night Live alum Darrell Hammond was tasked with bringing Sanders back to life, but not for long: He was soon replaced — and then his replacement was replaced, several times over. (Hammond later said he was blindsided by KFC's move to replace him, and had no idea he wasn’t in it for the long haul.) In fact, the chain is already on its second Colonel Sanders of 2017, the most recent addition to the lineup being actor Rob Lowe.

Here now, a brief history of Colonel Sanders — the man, the myth, the legend, and the fast food mascot — from his late 19th-century origins to present day.

The real Colonel Sanders

September 9, 1890: The real Colonel is born Harland David Sanders on a farm just outside Henryville, Indiana.

1930: After holding numerous jobs including tire saleman, fireman, blacksmith, and insurance salesman, Sanders opens a service station in North Corbin, Kentucky; it includes a restaurant where he serves fried chicken and biscuits, among other dishes.

1935: In recognition of his contributions to the state cuisine, Sanders is dubbed an honorary Kentucky Colonel by the state’s governor.

1940: Sanders perfects his "Original Recipe" for pressure-fried chicken seasoned with a secret blend of herbs and spices.

1952: Sanders becomes a pioneer in the fast food franchise industry, franchising the first Kentucky Fried Chicken to a restaurant operator in Salt Lake City.

1964: At the age of 73, Sanders sells the Kentucky Fried Chicken corporation to a group of Kentucky businessmen for $2 million. He remains the face of the company, filming numerous TV commercials and making frequent public appearances.

December 16, 1980: Harland Sanders dies in a Kentucky hospital at the age of 90.

2010: A survey by KFC shows six in 10 Americans age 18 to 25 (AKA that elusive millennial demographic) cannot identify the man in the KFC logo as Colonel Sanders; five in 10 don't believe he's a real person, and three in 10 have no clue who he is at all.

May 2015: KFC brings back the Colonel as part of an $185 million brand makeover; Saturday Night Live alum Darrell Hammond plays the part of the Southern-fried gentleman in TV spots. The rebranding effort also includes an online video game called ColonelQuest; players control Sanders during various stages of his life, bouncing babies off trampolines to represent his time as an "amateur obstetrician" and engaging in a gas station shootout that's become the stuff of legends.

June 2015: Drivers equipped with GPS navigational systems can now have turn-by-turn directions voiced by Colonel Sanders, thanks to a partnership between KFC and the Waze app. (The Colonel comes armed with phrases like, "Pothole on the road ahead. I'd fill it with gravy.")

August 2015: KFC unexpectedly announces fellow Saturday Night Live alum Norm Macdonald (perhaps best known as the face of the show’s "Weekend Update") as the new Colonel Sanders. New TV spots featuring Macdonald-as-Sanders show him hanging out in a white stretch limo and hanging out with a children’s mandolin band.

Norm Macdonald as Colonel Sanders

February 2016: KFC plonks down the cash for a Super Bowl ad spot to unveil the third iteration of the new Colonel: This time, it’s comedian Jim Gaffigan.

March 2016: Comedian David Alan Grier takes to Twitter to announce he’s been named the first black Colonel Sanders. This claim is soon revealed to be false, but KFC diplomatically says in a statement that it "hope[s] to continue the conversation with him over a $5 Fill Up."

Breaking News: David Alan Grier has been cast as the first African American Colonel Sanders in the new KFC ad campaign.

June 2016: KFC reveals yet another Colonel: Famously tanned actor George Hamilton won’t replace Gaffigan, but rather has signed on to specifically promote the chain’s Extra Crispy chicken as the suave, beachside "Extra Crispy Colonel." "Extra crispy isn't just a product, it's a lifestyle," the character says.

July 2016: Colonel Sanders stars in a new comic book from DC Comics. Called The Crisis of Infinite Colonels — which doesn't seem to be far-off from KFC's current IRL situation — the story pits the fast food icon against the evil Colonel Sunder from Earth-3, featuring numerous Colonel characters including Bizarro Colonel and Steampunk Colonel.

September 2016: KFC continues to appoint mascots at a breakneck pace, appointing actor Rob Riggle as its newest Colonel — and the coach of its fictional football team, the aptly named Kentucky Buckets. Notably, as a former lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, Riggle is now the first actual colonel to ever play the Colonel.

October 2016: Actor Vincent Kartheiser, best known for his portrayal of the shifty ad man Pete Campbell on Mad Men, becomes the latest actor to don the Colonel's white goatee. Kartheiser is cast as "heartthrob" Nashville Hot Colonel, appropriately selected to promote the chain's Nashville-style hot chicken products.

January 2017: KFC unveils its first new Colonel of the New Year, and it's none other than Titanic villain Billy Zane. Zane plays part of the gilded "Georgia Gold Colonel" in an ad spot promoting KFC’s new honey mustard barbecue-glazed chicken.

April 2017: The latest star to don the Colonel's bow tie is Hollywood icon Rob Lowe. For his campaign, Lowe dons a space suit decked out with a trompe l'oeil rendition of the Colonel's signature white suit; in a sendup of JFK's moon landing speech, Lowe announces the chain's Zinger chicken sandwich will be launched into space:

What’s next for the iconic Southern gentleman? KFC apparently has plenty more Colonels up its sleeve, with a company spokesperson previously telling Eater, "Colonel Sanders was too big a personality to be portrayed by just one person."

Meanwhile, not everyone is thrilled by the chain's decision to bring back the Colonel: Some feel it's disrespectful to resurrect a dead man, and claim Colonel the character is nothing like the real Harland Sanders. And Sanders himself wasn't without controversy: Legend has it he was a known philanderer, and worse, he was a major contributor to Alabama segregationist George C. Wallace's 1968 bid for the presidency (and was even on the short list to be his running mate). With all that in mind, it's no wonder KFC is recreating the Colonel as it sees fit — a racist womanizer isn't exactly the kind of mascot you want fronting a multinational fast food chain.

And while the chain has yet to reveal who might be next in line to play Sanders, here’s one idea: Alton Brown. The universally adored Food Network fixture proved he’s got the acting chops to play the Colonel in a 2010 episode of Good Eats in which he played a Southern-fried Kentucky fellow by the name of Bob Boatwright. He's already got the outfit and the accent down pat:

Every person who's played Colonel Sanders in a KFC ad

From George Hamilton to Reba McEntire, see all of the celebrities who've worn the Colonel's lionized look.

Over the years, the KFC mascot has evolved, with different variations of Colonel Sanders being introduced to reflect the changing times. Comedian Norm Macdonald, actor George Hamilton, and musician Reba McEntire have all portrayed Colonel Sanders in recent years. These variations of the mascot have aimed to bring a fresh and modern twist to the brand while still maintaining its nostalgic appeal. The KFC mascot has become a cultural icon, recognized worldwide. Colonel Sanders' image has been ingrained in the minds of consumers, and his presence is often associated with the delicious fried chicken that KFC is known for. Beyond his role as a mascot, Colonel Sanders has even been used as a character in video games and other forms of entertainment, further solidifying his place in popular culture. In conclusion, the KFC mascot, Colonel Sanders, has played a significant role in the brand's marketing and advertising campaigns. Through the portrayal of a recognizable and charismatic character, KFC has successfully established a strong presence in the fast-food industry and has become an internationally recognized brand..

Reviews for "The KFC Mascot and Social Media: A Match Made in Heaven"

John - 1 star - The KFC mascot is absolutely terrifying. I don't understand why they thought a giant, creepy chicken was a good idea for their mascot. It's enough to give anyone nightmares. Not only is it terrifying to look at, but it's also just plain weird. I don't see how this is supposed to make me want to eat their food. I'll definitely be avoiding KFC until they get rid of this monstrosity.

Jessica - 2 stars - I have to say, I'm not a fan of the KFC mascot. It just seems kind of strange and out of place. I understand that they're a chicken restaurant, but having a human-sized chicken walking around feels more like a cheesy gimmick than anything else. Plus, it's not even a cute chicken. It's just this weird, strange-looking creature that doesn't even resemble real chickens. I think KFC could definitely do better when it comes to their mascot.

Mark - 2 stars - I'm not a fan of the KFC mascot at all. It's just not appealing to me in any way. The whole concept of a giant chicken walking around and promoting fried chicken is just bizarre to me. It doesn't make me feel hungry or excited to eat KFC's food. In fact, it kind of turns me off from the whole idea. I think KFC needs to rethink their mascot and come up with something more relatable and appetizing.

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