Wrestling fans who also like KFC are going to have a great time, because the new Colonel Sanders is none other than wrestling legend and self-professed sexy boy Shawn Michaels!
Of course, it is expected that more WWE stars will play the Colonel in the future, so let us take a look at the KFC advertisement campaign and the possibilities for the future.
KFC’s Reliance on Big Names
Of course, WWE wrestlers are not the only famous people who have been the face of the KFC brand, because other major stars have played Colonel Sanders too; this includes Darrell Hammond, Norm Macdonald, Jim Gaffigan, Rob Riggle, George Hamilton, Vincent Kartheiser, Billy Zane, and Rob Lowe.
The Colonel in 2016
Everyone knows that it is not the first time KFC recruited someone from the WWE to play Colonel Sanders. Last year, KFC recruited none other than Dolph Ziggler, right along with The Miz, who played the chicken. Let’s just say, it was memorable television I don’t think anyone will forget anytime soon.
The WWE-KFC Auditions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqSscCPugQE
KFC adverts only seem to get better, especially since the KFC commercial that was released at SummerSlam. The commercial involved a KFC audition, where several WWE Superstars turned up to audition for the role of Colonel Sanders; Dolph Ziggler, Enzo Amore, the Big Show, Becky Lynch, Mojo Rawley, R-Truth, and Heath Slater.
Of course, none of these wrestlers eventually became the new Colonel Sanders – even though I had high hopes for Becky Lynch – because Shawn Michaels was picked to be the new Colonel Sanders, at least according to Adweek.
Combining Wrestling with Advertising
KFC has very specific reasons for choosing Shawn Michaels and the WWE in general to promote KFC chicken. According to copywriter Shaine Edwards from W+K, KFC wants to combine the wrestling experience with KFC advertising, making fans more passionate about their brand.
Here is the statement made by Shaine Edwards regarding the new advertisement:
“We’ve found with a lot of effort that going out of our way to remain authentic earns us goodwill from the folks we’re talking to—also, it’s just not a good idea to upset an arena full of wrestling fans. People have to know that we love the things they love just as much as they do, otherwise we’re just co-opting their interests. In WWE, they’d call that Cheap Heat. The Colonel wouldn’t like cheap heat.”
Predictions for Future WWE Colonels!
Picking a WWE wrestler as the new Colonel Sanders seems to be a tradition now for KFC, especially after the success of the Dolph Ziggler and Shawn Michaels advertisements.
Even though there are many possible male Superstars that could be the Colonel, I would prefer seeing a female wrestler as Colonel Sanders. Even though I do not think KFC will step away from the original male archetype of Colonel Sanders, how great would it be to have Becky Lynch as the Colonel in advertisements?
Who would you like to see as the new Colonel Sanders after Shawn Michaels has fulfilled his reign? Let us know your unsalted opinions below! We look forward to reading them.
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