KFC replaces Darrell Hammond with Norm Macdonald as Colonel Sanders in new commercials

Just a few months after Kentucky Fried Chicken revived its famous founding father, Colonel Sanders, via Saturday Night Live‘s Darrell Hammond, the fast-food chicken giant has pulled a switcheroo, swapping Hammond for his former SNL colleague, Norm Macdonald.

“Other than not quite looking like him, his voice being different, and his inability to cook the world’s best chicken, we thought Norm was the perfect choice to play the Real Colonel. I think the fans will agree,” said Kevin Hochman, chief marketing officer of KFC in the United States.

Macdonald, who joined Last Comic Standing as a judge for this summer’s ninth season, live-Tweeted this weekend’s PGA Championship but has yet to weigh in on his latest gig via Twitter.

When Hammond took over the KFC campaign in May, not everyone loved seeing him as Col. Sanders. In fact, Greg Creed, CEO of KFC parent company Yum! Brands, Inc., told a conference in New York soon after the rebranding of its legendary spokesman: “So far the response has been about 80% positive, 20% hate it,” Creed said, as reported by Food Business News. “But you know what? That’s better than 100% being indifferent. And that really is what’s important … we had lost relevance in the U.S. 60 percent of Millennials had not eaten KFC. So I’m very excited that this work is really distinctive and disruptive. And I am actually quite happy that 20% hate it, because now they at least have an opinion. They’re actually talking about KFC, and you can market to love and hate; you cannot market to indifference.”

No word on whether the switch is temporary, just for funsies, or more permanent. In the meantime, then…

What say you about these four new TV ads, featuring Norm Macdonald as Col. Sanders?

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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