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Colonel Sanders directs drivers via GPS

As part of KFC's comeback campaign, the company announced a partnership with Waze, a community-based traffic and navigation app, to give motorists a new voice option for GPS directions: the voice of Colonel Harland Sanders.

June 11, 2015

As part of KFC's comeback campaign, the company announced a partnership with Waze, a community-based traffic and navigation app, to give motorists a new voice option for GPS directions: the voice of Colonel Harland Sanders.

Now through Aug. 16, customers can opt to use The Colonel's voice for navigation by clicking Settings -> Sound -> Voice Language -> Colonel Sanders.

The voiceover includes Colonel-like sayings such as "Pothole on the road ahead. I'd fill it with gravy." The Colonel will also guide customers to KFC restaurants along their route.

"In our ads, the Colonel still thinks it costs $5 to fill up your car and that baseball is still America's number one sport, 'free of corruption and cheating of any kind,'" said Kevin Hochman, chief marketing officer of KFC US. "But I can promise you his navigation instructions are more up to date. Just grab a KFC Bucket and let the Colonel do the cooking and navigating this summer."

More than 90 years ago, Colonel Sanders painted a sign to direct motorists to his gas station in Corbin, Kentucky, the company said. When a rival gas station owner took offense to losing customers, a gunfight broke out between the two, resulting in the Colonel shooting the man in the shoulder in self-defense, according to the press release. The story is one of many of the Colonel's "colorful" life events re-enacted in a play and on a video game at www.colonelsanders.com.

"We're hoping this time the Colonel's navigation works out a bit better," Hochman said.