First, the Hamburglar, now the Colonel: What's old is new again in fast food.
Kentucky Fried Chicken is reintroducing its founder Colonel Harland Sanders as part of a push to remind customers of its fast food roots. (Tweet This)
In honor of the Original Recipe's 75th anniversary, the Yum Brands-owned company is putting the Colonel back in the limelight with a campaign that includes TV ads, a revamped website, and new packaging and menu items.
KFC is also rolling out a redesign at restaurants across the U.S. during the next few years with some retro-feeling elements and an emphasis on images of the Colonel.
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"I've been gone for a while and, boy howdy have things changed," says the Colonel, played by "Saturday Night Live" alum Darrell Hammond, in a new YouTube video. In one spot, Hammond marvels at the advent of double-sided tape and cargo pants, among other new items.
KFC is not the only fast food giant to reinvent an old brand ambassador. Rival McDonald's recently trotted out the Hamburglar, who in the decade-plus since he disappeared from national television has become a suburban father.
Broadly, KFC is off to a strong start in 2015 with same-store sales rising 5 percent during the first quarter.