LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- It's time to celebrate what makes Kentucky Fried Chicken® so damn special—finger lickin' good® Original Recipe® chicken, of course! 
 
 Seventy-five years ago a feisty 65-year-old chicken salesman (once a farmhand, an army mule-tender, a locomotive fireman, an aspiring lawyer, an insurance salesman, an amateur obstetrician, a political candidate and a ferryboat entrepreneur, among other professions) set out to give his neighbors the best fried chicken out there. A decade later that secret recipe and his finger lickin' good® fried chicken made Colonel Sanders one of the most recognizable men in the world. 
 
 "One of things that kept me going in those days was the conviction that my Kentucky Fried Chicken® was good—good for the restaurant owner and doggone good for the people who ate it." 
 
 —Colonel Sanders, 1974 
 
 "Colonel Harland Sanders' iconic legacy and world-famous Original Recipe® chicken are what set Kentucky Fried Chicken® apart from the rest. His entrepreneurial spark and unrelenting appreciation for hard work, philanthropy and showmanship (or what he called 'a little Colonel-ing') are exemplary of the 'American Dream,'" said Kevin Hochman, chief marketing officer for KFC US. "We want to remind today's hardworking folks that his passion, dedication and famous secret blend of 11 herbs & spices are alive and well across our 4,300 restaurants in the US." 
 
 In honor of this momentous anniversary, KFC is reintroducing the brand's greatest asset—the Colonel himself—by bringing his down-home values and recipe for the world's tastiest chicken to life via web, broadcast, social media and in-store experiences. 
 
 We're rollin' out the changes online with a new and improved KFC.com and reinvented ColonelSanders.com. The latter will feature a mighty fine look at the various stages of the Colonel's life via the Hall of Colonels, a new interactive digital experience that tells his story from rural farmer to small-town lawyer to gun-fightin' gas station owner to fried chicken connoisseur and philanthropist. 
 
 Television commercials will kick off May 25 and put the Colonel (portrayed by stand-up comedian, impressionist and "Saturday Night Live" alum Darrell Hammond) front and center. The spots will playfully explore the juxtaposition between the Colonel's heyday and modern culture. 
 
 "In my line of work I've been able to do impressions of a lot of interesting people. But Colonel Sanders? He was a really fascinating guy. His lifelong entrepreneurial spirit and integrity are two things that drew me to him. He never gave up. It's an honor to bring to life such an iconic figure…and it doesn't hurt that KFC is paying me in chicken (which, at the time, sounded like a good idea because I was very hungry that day)," Darrell Hammond notes. 
 
 The new KFC experience doesn't end there, folks. Customers will taste the changes too, thanks to some new, innovative, lip-smackin' menu items—namely, the Finger Lickin' Good® sauce, made with Original Recipe® seasoning to complement the flavor of America's favorite fried chicken. And don't think they forgot the packaging! KFC meals will don newly designed buckets, bags, boxes and more, all reflecting the brand's distinctive style. And, let's face it, the Colonel's style was one of a kind. 
 
 KFC restaurants are undergoing changes as well, with a fancy redesign rolling out at restaurants across the country during the next few years. And if you've been to the Hikes Point, Louisville, Ky. or Las Vegas, Nev. locations, then you have had a sneak peek. Hikes Pointers were the first to see the new digs, which bring to life the brand's values while honoring the man who made it all happen: Colonel Sanders. And just like his memorable white suit and ribbon tie, KFC's new design is iconic and distinctive, conveying originality, reputation for quality and, most importantly, showmanship. 
 
 Reflecting on all of the changes the brand is about to unveil, Hochman stated, "The Colonel has always been at the core of everything we do here at Kentucky Fried Chicken®. The 75th Anniversary is the perfect time to give him back to the people and remind everyone of what we're all about." 
 
 For access to advertising video assets, archival images, new packaging and store design photos and more, visit our media microsite, kfc.emanate.hosting 
 
 About KFC 
 
 KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain. KFC specializes in Original Recipe®, Extra Crispy™, Kentucky Grilled Chicken®, Extra Crispy™ Tenders, KFC Go Cup®, Famous Bowl®, pot pies, freshly made chicken sandwiches, biscuits and home-style side items. There are more than 19,400 KFC outlets in 120 countries and territories around the world. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE: YUM). For more information, visit www.kfc.com. Follow KFC on Facebook (www.facebook.com/KFC) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/kfc). 
 
 SOURCE KFC Corporation 

 The Colonel is back to make sure his Kentucky Fried Chicken is still delicious. So he made this commercial about it. amp.twimg.com/v/53e04f8f-c29… 6:09 AM - 19 May 2015 

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 Whether or not KFC's resurrection of Colonel Sanders achieves its goal of putting a sales dent in potent rivals like Chick-fil-A, the campaign is at least reminding America what a peculiar and fascinating life Harland Sanders actually led. 
 
 As part of the campaign led by Wieden + Kennedy, KFC has launched a digital version of an animatronic museum called The Hall of Colonels, where robotic simulacra of Sanders will regale you with songs and stories about his life. 
 
 It's surprisingly entertaining and educational, actually. Here are a few of our favorite gleanings: 
 
 1. He shot someone who vandalized his ad. 
 
 During his time as a Shell gas station owner in the late 1920s, Sanders got into an increasingly tense rivalry with a competitor, and the whole thing escalated into a shootout. 
 
 When Sanders posted an ad next to a highway near his Corbin, Ky., business, rival service station owner Matt Stewart painted over the sign. Sanders threatened retaliation, but Stewart vandalized the sign again, just as Sanders was meeting with two Shell representatives. 
 
 The three grabbed firearms and went down to confront Stewart, who promptly shot and killed one of the Shell reps. Sanders shot Stewart in the shoulder, ending the firefight. Stewart went to prison, and Sanders avoided jail time after his rival was determined to have instigated the fight. 
 
 2. He learned to cook after his father's early death. 
 
 At age 6, Sanders lost his father and had to learn to cook to help feed his rural Indiana family. The boy dropped out of school in the sixth grade ("because I didn't like math"). He worked odd jobs in his youth, such as being a farmhand for $2 a month, and then, as a 16-year-old in 1906, lied about his age to join the Army. Despite his enjoyment of cooking, it would be another 24 years before he would start serving food for money. 
 
 3. He worked some truly odd and occasionally terrible jobs. 
 
 Here's a sample (though admittedly we had to pull some details from other Google-able sources): 
 
 Mule minder for the U.S. Army at age 16 
 
 Lawyer, briefly, until he got in a courtroom brawl 
 
 Ash pan cleaner for the Northern Alabama Railroad 
 
 Michelin tire salesman (from which he was fired for his temper) 
 
 "Helpful but technically unlicensed" obstetrician, delivering babies with rudimentary supplies like lard and Vaseline 
 
 Owner of a ferry boat called the Froman M. Coots, which replaced an even more awesomely named ferry, The Old Asthma 
 
 Founder of an acetylene lamp business, launched with his ferry boat profits. It failed due to the development of an affordable electric lamp. 
 
 4. He "didn't want to be the richest man in the cemetery." 
 
 Before his death in 1980, Sanders created the Colonel Harland Sanders Trust and Colonel Harland Sanders Charitable Organization to donate much of his wealth to charities, schools and hospitals. 
 
 Learn more for yourself from the Hall of Colonels microsite. Or if you're feeling abundantly curious, you could always check out his 1974 autobiography, Life As I Have Known It Has Been Finger Lickin' Good. 

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 Darrell Hammond plays Colonel Sanders in KFC's new ad blitz. (Courtesy of KFC) 
 
 These are dark days for KFC's once-dominant chicken empire. After five years of crumbling sales, the extra crispy mega-chain, which in 2012 lost its throne as America's top chicken seller to Chick-fil-A, now makes less money than eateries half its size, like Applebee's and Panera Bread. 
 
 Now, 75 years after "Colonel" Harland Sanders first served his original recipe at a six-seat dining table in rural Kentucky, the chain is betting $185 million on a massive, bizarre turnaround campaign in hopes of winning a seat again at the fast-food table. 
 
 The chain is blasting out TV ads, offering new Southern-style grub and remodeling some of its 4,300 stores with humanized touches, like boards they say will name the regional farm where their chickens came from. 
 
 Perhaps KFC's biggest gamble: Reviving the long-dead visage of Colonel Sanders himself, "the brand’s greatest asset," with a handful of increasingly odd "web, broadcast, social media and in-store experiences." 
 
 "Young people all have this idea that everyone can be a star on social media. Well, the Colonel was the consummate American showman," said Kevin Hochman, KFC's chief marketing officer. "People see him as an old person, because we haven't talked about him in a while. But he was the person with bling before bling was even a word." 
 
 In the United States, KFC has joined other once-infallible fast-food kings, like McDonald's, in seeing a drop-off in business from buyers increasingly lured to fast-casual, advertised-fresh outposts like Chipotle Mexican Grill. In China, the chain (and others) has seen sales disappear amid worries over the Avian flu. 
 
 It has struggled against small-but-growing rivals like Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits, which debuted on the stock market this month, and faces new competition from upstarts like classy burger joint Shake Shack, whose shares climbed last week after it filed a trademark application for "Chicken Shack." 
 
 But KFC's biggest loss so far has been in its Cersei-Margaery-style battle with Chick-fil-A, its younger Southern rival. After eclipsing KFC in 2012, the cult favorite known for its boneless chicken sandwiches ran with the prize, making $1 billion more in the U.S. than KFC did last year. 
 
 But KFC has big backing from its owner, Yum! Brands, the $40 billion fast-food colossus behind Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. And executives say it has the name, history and nostalgia they're hoping will win Americans back. 
 
 Over the next few years, KFC will redo its packaging, uniforms and dining decor in red-and-white stripes, which executives call a throw-back to the classic look of carnival tents. The chain will also expand its menu, offering Southern-ish fare like barbecue baked beans with slow-pulled chicken alongside a river of ranch-like Finger Lickin’ Good™ Sauce. 
 
 
 
 A KFC in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Can a big rebranding end the chicken chain's darkest days? (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg) 
 
 In a world of health-food hype, the chain is doubling down on its fried-chicken bucket, which Hochman called a "shareable innovative package" that still gets about three-quarters of its sales from parents with kids at the table. 
 
 "Many families see our bucket meals as home-meal replacements," Hochman said. "They may want to cut corners, but they want to know the people who are making their meals aren't cutting corners." 
 
 Unlike its fast-food competitors — Wendy's with its veggie burgers, McDonald's with its kale — none of KFC's rebranding promises touch on a shift toward healthier cuisine. Instead, the chain will continue to trumpet its heaping helpings of extra-crispy yardbird, buttery biscuits and gravy-flooded mashed-potato bowls. (One new package design includes the quote, "There are few problems a bucket of fried chicken can't solve.") 
 
 The chain also will try and get people to think less about trouble spots in its history of poultry farming — including a scandal last year involving a tainted meat supply — and think more about its chicken "traceability." Promotional spots will say KFC's chickens come in raw from regional farms and are hand-breaded and fried before leaving the kitchen. 
 
 "The new healthy is really about real food: I know where the chickens are from, how they're prepared, that it's done the proper way," Hochman said. "We're very on trend with that." 
 
 Amid all these changes, KFC has yet to announce any shift on one of the biggest issues in modern farming: The use of chicken raised by antibiotics. McDonald's said in March it would phase out the chicken due to worries over deadly, treatment-resistant "superbugs." Last week, Wal-Mart became the first major retailer to ask its farmers and meat producers to limit their antibiotic use. 
 
 
 
 Old photos of Kentucky colonel Harland Sanders. (Courtesy of KFC) 
 
 To market these changes, KFC tapped Saturday Night Live alum Darrell Hammond to resurrect a live-action version of Colonel Sanders, who has not been seen on TV in 20 years, in ads that launched Monday. 
 
 Last week, @KFC tweeted a "State of Kentucky Fried Chicken Address," in which Hammond's Colonel wheezes and drawls his way through all the changes he's missed before declaring, "I'm back, America." (Of cargo pants, he declares, "You seen these pants? That's too many pockets.") 
 
 In real life, the Indiana-born Sanders worked a parade of odd jobs before franchising KFC, which he sold to a group of investors in 1964 for $2 million. (Sanders died in 1980, and the chain made $4.2 billion last year in the U.S. alone.) 
 
 KFC hopes to play that story for laughs, launching a Web site, the Hall of Colonels, that plays out Sanders' history. One still highlights a gas-station gunfight that has spread (spuriously) across the web. 
 
 The chain also unveiled an offbeat, 8-bit-style web game, ColonelQuest, that plays like a dark acid trip of Sanders' life. In one level full of bouncing babies, the player, as Sanders' "amateur obstetrician," is told to "catch as many babies as you can so the Colonel won't get sued for malpractice!" 
 
 It's not the only way KFC is trying to hook young eaters: An ad campaign in Germany includes a tray liner that can be used as a Bluetooth keyboard for a smartphone. Those stores are part of KFC's growing global enterprise: The chain now has 7,300 international outposts, 3,000 more than it has back home. 
 
 But KFC draws the line at comparing its rebranding to that of McDonald's, the fellow global fast-food titan now going through its own turnaround. In the company's view, Sanders is far removed from the legacy of Ronald McDonald. 
 
 "This is much more than a mascot," Hochman said. "He was literally the greatest chicken salesman in the world."
– "There are few problems a bucket of fried chicken can't solve." That's one of the messages KFC management is banking on to rescue it from fast-food irrelevance, especially after losing major market share to rival Chick-fil-A, the Washington Post reports. The Yum Brands subsidiary is spitting out $185 million to reboot its business, which includes sprucing up some of its 4,300 stores, pushing new Deep South fare, and bringing back in TV ads what a press release calls the "brand's greatest asset": the ever-popular Colonel Sanders, who died in 1980 and hasn't been seen in a KFC ad in two decades. "The Colonel was the consummate American showman," KFC's marketing head tells the Post. "He was the person with bling before bling was even a word." For now, KFC is bringing him back to life through SNL alum Darrell Hammond, who issued a "State of Kentucky Fried Chicken Address" as the colonel in a promo KFC tweeted out May 19. There's also what Adweek calls an "oddly educational" Hall of Colonels website and even a Colonel Quest video game. Response on social media has been … mixed. Comments range from excited ("@kfc Excellent tv spots! The Colonel is still an excellent spokesman!") to disgusted ("@kfc I find this extremely offensive to the memory of Colonel Sander I'm going to Popeyes") to flat-out frightened ("Get outta my timeline with your zombie Colonel selling fried death"). But will KFC be bowing to the healthy-eating trend that forced McDonald's to start testing kale in its offerings? Doesn't look that way, the Post notes, though the chain will be using chicken "traceability" boards in restaurants to say where local chicken came from.