W+K Portland and Norm Macdonald, who has been playing Colonel Sanders since taking over for Darrell Hammond last August, introduce KFC’s new Nashville Hot Chicken with a pair of 30-second broadcast spots.
The new spots, aside from introducing a new menu item, are really more of the same for W+K and KFC. “Maps” mixes in the expected attempts at humor, as Macdonald claims he “spent months searching the world over for the very best Nashville Hot Chicken recipe” while standing next to a globe filled with pins. “Then, I found it, in the last place I ever expected: Nashville,” he adds, unfurling a giant map to reveal the new product. “Boardroom” is a little more straightforward, featuring Colonel Sanders in a boardroom showing slides from his “research trip down to Nashville,” concluding with room applauding for the new menu item. The campaign launched on Sunday and both spots will continue to run through April 3.
Given that the ads are introducing something new for the brand, it would have been nice to see them take things in a new direction, or at least offer up the kind of change of pace that the “Gifts” spot did for the agency’s holiday campaign. Instead, the ads feels a bit too much like the agency’s previous efforts for the brand.
Credits:
W+K PORTLAND
Creative Directors: Eric Baldwin/Karl Lieberman
Copywriter: Jonathan Marshall/Jarrod Higgins (“Nightmare” only)
Art Director: Helen Rhodes
Senior Producer: Jennie Lindstrom
Social Strategy: John Dempsey
Strategic Planning: Britton Taylor/Matt Hisamoto/Barrie Wilhelmi
Media/Comms Planning: Alex Barwick/Anjali Patel
Account Team: Jess Monsey/Jesse Johnson/Andrie Wheeler/Kate Rutkowski/Lindsay Varquez
Business Affairs: Amber Lavender/Cynthia Valenti
Project Management: Erin Keeley/Ryan Gallagher
Executive Creative Directors: Joe Staples/Mark Fitzloff
Head of Production: Ben Grylewicz
PRODUCTION
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director: Matt Dilmore
Managing Director: Shawn Lacy
Executive Producer: Rick Jarjoura
Line Producer: Carr Donald
Director of Photography: Bryan Newman
EDITORIAL
Editorial Company: Joint Editorial
Editor: Steve Sprinkel
Asst. Editor: JB Jacobs
Post Producer: Jen Milano
Post Executive Producer: Leslie Carthy
VFX
VFX Company: Joint
Lead Flame Artist: Katrina Salicrup
2D Artists: David Jahns, David Stern, Robert Murdock, Noah Poole
VFX Executive Producer: Alex Thiesen
VFX Producer: Gail von Dedenroth
VFX Coordinator: Nathanael Horton
MIX + SOUND DESIGN
Mix + Sound Company: Joint
Mixer/Sound Designer: Noah Woodburn
Producer: Sarah Fink
TELECINE
Telecine Company: Company 3
Color Producer: Matt Moran
Colorist: Siggy Ferstl