KFC Ushers In Third Colonel Sanders In A Year

While the original Colonel Sanders has not been with us for over 35 years, his memory has remained an integral part of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM)'s KFC image, as his persona has been reimagined by different actors since his death in 1980 at the ripe old age of 90.

However, as of late, his guise has been less consistent than in past years. Much like Peter Capaldi's Doctor Who, Colonel Sanders' 2015-2016 incarnation has been fleeting, ushering in now the third actor over the past year.

(Re)Introducing The Colonel

The newest face of the fried chicken franchise made his debut over the weekend during Super Bowl 50.

Replacing the most recent actor Norm MacDonald, comedian Jim Gaffigan was featured as the new Colonel in not one, but two commercials, filling the highly coveted, multi-million dollar commercial slots during the Broncos-Panthers game on Sunday.

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The Ads

In Gaffigan's first ad as the Colonel, he is seen dreaming that his predecessor MacDonald was impersonating him, cleverly altering audiences to the role reversal.

In the second ad, Gaffigan stars alone as the reigning Colonel. Both ads heavily feature KFC's new Nashville hot chicken.

At the time of this publication, Yum was trading down 3.34 percent on the day at $67.43.