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KFC's new Colonel: The 'value' of being an unknown

December 20, 2017

When you are looking for bargain basement prices, what do you look for? Off-labels? The little names that nobody remembers? That was KFC's mentality this time when searching for the best "Value Colonel." In fact, as KFC Advertising Director George Felix said in press materials about the choice, "Heck, he even auditioned for the role of the Colonel several years ago, and we didn't remember him

Value Colonel, aka Christopoher Boyer, is allowing the company to keep in line with its value theme by not spending extra money on a celebrity, according to a company press release, which means that it can offer more value items to customers. Some of those offerings include $3.99 pot pies, starting on Dec. 26, along with a number of $5 Fill Up combinations.

The release said Boyer has filled the background in popular shows for years in roles like, "man in mattress store," "professor" and "old seasoned farmer."

"After casting a wide net to find our next Colonel — everywhere from big shot Hollywood agents to postings on job boards and even Craigslist — we were pleasantly surprised when we found Boyer," said KFC U.S. director of advertising George Felix. "Much like the Colonel, he's held a lot of forgettable roles before becoming the world's most famous chicken salesman."

Like the ol' colonel himself, Boyer has had plenty of jobs over his life thus far and even once owned his own restaurant, known for fried chicken.  

"Now two years later (after his first 2015 attempt at the role), I am very grateful to be playing the role as the common man's Colonel," Boyer said in the release. 

The ads start airing on Dec. 28 and will also include that cameo role seen in the ad above, by Wayne Knight, otherwise known as "Newman!" from the former Seinfeld show. The company said, "Despite our insistence that Knight was too much of a celebrity to play the Value Colonel, he still decided to be on set during filming in search of free chicken."

KFC's George Felix is the keynote speaker at this April's Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit in Louisville.