KFC started its big national advertising campaign for its Chicken and Waffle menu items, which will be available nationwide Monday. The campaign includes two clever commercials, both heavily featuring Mrs. Butterworth syrup.
In the first, Colonel Sanders sees a giant, person-sized Mrs. Butterworth bottle and it is love at first sight, while Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love” plays.
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“The most delicious union of all time — Kentucky Fried Chicken and Waffles,” the narrator says at the end.
In a second commercial, The Colonel and the Mrs. Butterworth bottle recreate a scene from Dirty Dancing, with “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” playing during their dance. The ad is surprisingly heavy with special effects, as the Mrs. Butterworth bottle gets animated during the dance.
The second ad ends with the same narration as the first.
Both ads also use a new actor as Colonel Sanders. Recently, the chain has been hiring celebrities to play their mascot, from Seinfeld‘s Jason Alexander and Game of Thrones‘ Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane to country star Reba McEntire.
KFC announced plans to bring the Chicken and Waffles menu item nationwide last week, after a successful test of the menu items in North Carolina this past summer. The menu items include waffles made with Belgium-imported pearl sugar to give them an extra sweet and crunchy texture, and are drenched in Mrs. Butterworth syrup.
“Our famous extra crispy, savory fried chicken atop a Belgian Liege-style waffle, with the finishing touch of classic Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup, makes for a scrumptious dish I’d put up against versions at upscale restaurants, but we’re offering it at a price just about anyone can afford,” Andrea Zahumensky, KFC Chief Marketing Officer, said in a statement. “And it can be enjoyed at KFCs across the country for brunch, lunch or dinner.”
The meal is available in several different options and price brackets. You can get a $5.49 meal with a waffle topped with Extra Crispy Fried Chicken or Extra Crispy Chicken Tenders, or a $7.99 basket meal with an extra waffle and more chicken pieces.
Customers who want to eat their food in sandwich form can also get a $5.99 sandwich option that has Hot Honey Fried Chicken pieces between two waffles. A $7.99 meal deal pairs the sandwich with a drink and potato wedges.
Zahumensky told Nation’s Restaurant News that the meal will be available at any time of day at all KFC locations.
“It’s not a brunch option. You don’t have to go to a restaurant and wait for it,” she said.
The Chicken and Waffle meals will only be available through the end of the year.
This is KFC’s latest attempt to shake up its menu in the U.S. The company’s Canada division already tried something similar, creating the Waffle Double Down sandwich, which had a Belgian waffle between two fried chicken fillets.
Photo credit: KFC
