Yesterday, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC to friends), unveiled a new logo that, in a nutshell, stripped Colonel Sanders' signature white double-breasted coat and adorned him with a red apron while maintaining the identifiable thick-rimmed glasses, goatee and string tie, all in a neatly contemporary and fresh style.
KFC has maintained a remarkably consistent brand identity over the past 50 years, putting all its efforts into Colonel Sanders' image and has only manipulated its depiction five times in five decades — always maintaining the defining elements while adapting to the unavoidable visual shifts of the fast food industry. In the past five or seven years most fast food chains have been TacoBellized: logo at an angle, dimension (with flat colors, not gradients, thank you) and bright and bold colors.
The new KFC brand will be implemented in 14,000-plus restaurants spread throughout 80 countries in the next few years and is accompanied by one of those stunts that sound great in a boardroom but just leave everyone else wondering "is it really worth it?": A 65,000 square foot giant logo in the Area 51 dessert — seriously?! — that can be seen from space — for all of us that commute from Pluto we can take advantage of the gridlock around the moon to enjoy the logo while bottle-necked — code-named the "Face from Space" and consisting of "6,000 red, 14,000 white, 12,000 eggshell, 5,000 beige and 28,000 black" tiles. In the skeptical, mocking words of Borat: Niiiice! I rarely preach social consciousness but, c'mon, save the money, donate the cost of those tiles and manpower as food for shelters. Stunts like these are unimpressive and a waste of resources.
As with some branding projects, the firm is left uncredited and e-mails to PR Folks are left unresponded so, dear readers, I have no clue who is responsible for this new identity work. Perhaps as the discussion progresses we will be dutifully tipped. And as with all rebrandings the press releases are full of hot air of which I have no desire in blowing more of here. I can, however and as always, give you my impression. I, surprisingly, really like the new logo, the drawing of the colonel is dynamic, it is very precisely reduced to the most defining elements of the face and I simply adore his cool, gray-haired, almost-blowing-in-the-wind flock of hair. The drawing has dimension, depth and dynamism, without resorting to shading, proving that a well-conceived set of shapes can communicate more boldly and directly than any amount of shading will ever do. Even the "Kentucky Fried Chicken" typography is working for me, as a modern interpretation of the very first logo, the "Chicken" might be too retail for my taste, but I find it to be digestible.
The new overall brand feels to me like a succesful culmination and evolution of the effort that KFC has made in the last two or three years to enliven the brand with fresh and energetic ads and position it to compete against McDonald's and Crispin-led Burger King. This is Branding 2.0™ done well: it breaks away from the stodgy stigma that traditional corporate identity entails and it pushes the bubbly, friendly, angle-y graphics into appropriate territory; this is a brand that works well across TV, print, web and environmental contexts and, more importantly, is appropriate for its market, audience and visual context.
Colonel: I salute you!
Update: The new KFC identity was designed by San Francisco-based Tesser. Don't miss a PDF with highlights of the new logo — including an explanation of the three stripes on the apron.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Kosal Sen’s comment is:
Has the colonel gotten 10 years younger? As a kid, I saw the old colonel's floating head as a standing drumstick. The lines of his contour, wrinkles, and hairline were reminiscent to the crispy texture of fried chicken. He was iconic. A legend shrouded in his secret recipe. Although the technical execution of this latest logo works best, I can't help but miss the illustrated wisdom of the colonel's face.
On Nov.15.2006 at 09:36 AM
Magnus’s comment is:
Solid.
On Nov.15.2006 at 09:44 AM
paul’s comment is:
I like the new design as well. Putting the Colonel in an apron is a nice touch, along with the fact that they've finally decided to put "Kentucky Fried Chicken" back into their officially branded name. And did you notice that the red field behind Colonel Sander's image is in the shape of a bucket?
On Nov.15.2006 at 09:51 AM
Dave Werner’s comment is:
Definite improvement. The simplified iconic illustration, darker red, apron, and bounding "bucket" work well together.
I'll be interested to see how it looks in use...seems like they might be moving away from a Popeye's and closer to a Boston Market.
On Nov.15.2006 at 10:00 AM
Allen Boe’s comment is:
Not only did he ditch the double-breasted coat they also ditched the double-chin. I suppose part of this effort is to try to subtly improved the unhealthy image that KFC is known for. I think it's an improvement.
On Nov.15.2006 at 10:52 AM
Greg Scraper’s comment is:
With the removal of the blue, now it looks like Pizza Hut (which is nice since I think Pepsico owns both. Actually, the '91 logo looks oddly like the Pepsi logo of that era...). I'm not as enthusiastic as Armin about this one, but I do agree that it's an improvement. I also like the typography, because they finally removed that crappy fake drop shadow, and the apron is a definite improvement. Now if they could just improve the quality of the food and the atmosphere of the restaurants, they'd be set.
On Nov.15.2006 at 11:11 AM
Chris’s comment is:
It's overall an improvement, except for the apron. It makes him look like a supermarket check-out boy.
Why the apron?
On Nov.15.2006 at 11:28 AM
Aaron’s comment is:
I think we should all go and get a KFC Bowl right now. You'll never be the same.
On Nov.15.2006 at 11:29 AM
Chris’s comment is:
Oh, and they should go back to spelling the name out: 'Kentucky Fried Chicken' has much more resonance and gravitas than 'KFC'. They don't need to abandon the initials for every purpose, but they do need to have some respect for the brand at some level, and the full name is part of the heritage of this country.
On Nov.15.2006 at 11:31 AM
Paul Riehle’s comment is:
Chris
Well they havent completely abandoned the "Kentucky Fried Chicken" name as shown on their website.
I do think they could have approached the type in a better way.
On Nov.15.2006 at 11:55 AM
Josh B’s comment is:
I miss the floating head from the good old days. I say ditch the shoulders and the apron and let his head stand on that little string tie... which by the way doubles as a miniature stick figure body.
Still, this is an improvement. The leaner keener Colonel.
Speaking of floating heads, when did Pep Boys change their logo?
old
new... or newish anyway
PEPBOYS? One word? Really?
On Nov.15.2006 at 12:35 PM
Von K’s comment is:
An improvement and step in the right direction, agreed.
The darker red is easier on the eyes and says "quality foodstuffs" better than the brighter red of old.
The apron brings the Colonel out of the big house, 'round back and into the kitchen through the servants entrance. They're putting him behind the KFC counter and on level ground with all us chicken-lovin' workin' folk, y'all!
On Nov.15.2006 at 12:36 PM
D. Jantausch’s comment is:
Get rid of the Colonel's goatee and it's Dave Thomas from Wendy's.....!!!
On Nov.15.2006 at 01:47 PM
Josh B’s comment is:
Get rid of the Colonel's goatee and it's Dave Thomas from Wendy's
Or Orville Redenbacher.
On Nov.15.2006 at 02:06 PM
Kosal Sen’s comment is:
Great observation guys.
rachel’s comment is:
As a child in the early 90s, my sister was convinced that the Colonel had only a stick figure body. I had to explain to her that, no, it was just a tie...
On Nov.15.2006 at 02:29 PM
David’s comment is:
Has anyone else noticed that he's now smiling slightly more? It's subtle, but he's showing more teeth. Or, maybe that's false teeth...
On Nov.15.2006 at 02:49 PM
Andy’s comment is:
I like it; the subliminal (I guess?) bucket shape works well. But one question? Is adidas supplying the aprons now? What up with the 3 stripes?
On Nov.15.2006 at 02:56 PM
Su’s comment is:
KFC has maintained a remarkably consistent brand identity over the past 50 years, putting all its efforts into Colonel Sanders' image and has only manipulated its depiction five times in five decades
How strict is this? Anyone else remember the weird animated Colonel from the late 90s-ish that showed up in the TV ads for a while, trying a little to hard to be "hip," as the kids say? Go Colonel. It's your birthday.
I don't think he ever made it into the official logo, though, if that's all you're counting.
On Nov.15.2006 at 03:01 PM
cmkg’s comment is:
...now it looks like Pizza Hut (which is nice since I think Pepsico owns both.)
Both were once owned by Pepsi, but were spun off in 1997, according to the Yum! Brands website.
Get rid of the Colonel's goatee and it's Dave Thomas from Wendy's.
Dave Thomas got his start at KFC, and in interviews often cited Harland Sanders as his role model.
On Nov.15.2006 at 03:12 PM
Lester’s comment is:
There's one thing that bugs me about the new logo: the black border. If they got rid of that black border around the bucket shape, I'd like it a whole lot more.
On Nov.15.2006 at 03:27 PM
Jason L.’s comment is:
Being from Louisville, the home of Yum! Brands, it's nice to see them execute a relatively elegant new logo for the colonel. The TacoBellizing idea is of note as Taco Bell is also under the Yum! Brands umbrella, as well as Pizza Hut. So the family is starting to look a little more like each other.
And as a point of fact, at least here in Louisville, there are locations that offer both Taco Bell and KFC together. Which to some is phenomenal, and others outright horrifying. But all in all an effective move from KFC and Yum! Brands.
Here Here!
On Nov.15.2006 at 03:29 PM
Jackson Cavanaugh’s comment is:
Maybe the Colonel is leaner and cleaner because he's sponsered by Adidas.
I still like this rebranding better.
Feldhouse’s comment is:
There's one thing that bugs me about the new logo: the black border. If they got rid of that black border around the bucket shape, I'd like it a whole lot more.
If you didn't have the border you'd lose the shoulders. I think it also would be harder to see in a smaller scale.
I heard that the apron was applied to the logo to reenforce that "Sanders was always a Chef and not just an icon"... of course going back to the food part of KFC, not the logo.
I think to the average person, it will be a small update, but to designers it's a great change that helps clean up the market of these gradiant logo's.
On Nov.15.2006 at 04:34 PM
shaun ’s comment is:
I'm glad I'm not the only to notice his adidas branded apron. why the three stripes? strange.
On Nov.15.2006 at 06:02 PM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Arm:
Great Editorial. Love the New Site.
You haven't lost a step. I wholeheartedly agree Major, Major waste of Resources which should be put to better use!!!
Thanks for acknowledgement. I do it for the Love of It.
Su:
I remember the KFC commercials from the 1990s during March Madness the Colonel Dunked the Basketball and Spun it on his fingers or something.
Critique:
Interesting Update, mixed emotions about it.
I'm Endeared to the Old Identities. This one is for Generation X & Y. I've lived with the Colonel in his White Suite for 40 years. Now an Apron???!!!
There's something lost with this Identity and Brand Redesign. Being a Kentucky Colonel is an Honorary Title Bestowed upon a Chosen Few, akin to being Knighted.
The Brand Strategy behind KFC Rebranding is Wrong, The same as it was Wrong for St. Paulie Girl and BAZOOKA JOE.Thank GOD the Strategist for BAZOOKA JOE listened to its Core Market and kept the Eye Patch which was initially removed during Redesign.
A Kentucky Colonel should never be seen without his White Double Breasted Blazer.
That's the Whole Mystique and Legend of being a Kentucky Colonel.
That Attire is as Important as being adorned in a Green Blazer after Winning the Masters.
Interesting KFC was Dropped from the Redesigned Identity. Lets see if the General Populous drop three (3) initials for seven (7) Syllables.
I think most Naming Experts will agree people won't give up saying KFC to enunciate
Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Again, Interesting Update. Betcha an Advertising Agency is behind this Redesign.
Being a Vegetarian, I don't eat at KFC. Few years ago Taco Bell merged with KFC. Corporate entities in certain locations in D.C. have KFC and Taco Bell on the Menu Boards.
Sometimes I frequent Taco Bell to purchase a Bean Burrito or Rice, Bean and Cheese Burrito.
It appears Kentucky Fried Chicken was hell bent on Rolling Out and Launching their new Identity and/or Rebranding before McDonalds.who's Launching a Total Interior and Exterior Makeover. Minor changes are being made to McDonalds Identity.
http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2006/10/26/mickey_ds_goes_uptown/
Thanks to Uncle Bill Gardner at Logo Lounge for the link.
DM
On Nov.15.2006 at 06:11 PM
Mr One-Hundred’s comment is:
Generally, I think this is really good. Bye-bye blue – thank God! It always looked to me like the Colonel might be leaning spread-eagled on the back of a police cruiser, bathed in the red/blue flashing lights. The brown is definitely a more “food” colour.
I agree with DM about the mystique which the Colonel posessed in his earlier incarnations – I feel that it is somewhat diminished as the smile grows wider.
A couple of quibbles... on the new logo, he is standing upright, but on the website, he is leaning – dude is going to get seasick!
...and the typefaces! Whoa! On the logo, we have the now-familiar serif which says ”KFC”, on the website, we have a re-tread of the original hand-lettering saying “Kentucky Fried” and then the word Chicken in some generic packaging script... Is there a reason for this? Or are we seeing this re-branding in incremental steps?
Oh, and on the website, the brown looks like black on my browser (Safari 2.0.4)
On Nov.15.2006 at 07:18 PM
Nick Z.’s comment is:
Give me a break! This is one example where the redesign has gotten too "GOOD!" The KFC logo has been getting progressively "better" since the first redesign. But, looking back at the logo history the first two are much better suited to a fried chicken shack than any of the others. The history of the brand is slowly being lost.
The white suit is a good example. They sell southern fried chicken. So it makes sense that their spokesperson looks southern. And nothing says 'southern gentleman' more than a white suit and a string tie (except for seersucker, it's a close call) Now that you've taken away his white suit, if you take away his string tie the Colonel is just some old dude working the fry station. It's like taking away Batman's cape and tights!
Which brings up another point. If you're in the fast food industry I don't think it's a good idea for an employee (or someone who looks like one) to be a spokes-person (spokes-head?) It lacks credibility when the person selling the product on TV looks like the person who could barely count out your change from lunch.
I can understand if they want to shy away from the sterotypical image of the south. But hell, they sure don't have a problem playing up the white trash/monster truck/southern rock angle in their TV adertisments.
But maybe I got it all wrong. Maybe times are tougher than we all thought at the 'ol K,F and C and the Colonel is pitching in by taking a shift at the store level until things level out.
KFC has much bigger problems than their logo.
Besides, how would this reproduce in black and white?
On Nov.15.2006 at 08:49 PM
Su’s comment is:
Besides, how would this reproduce in black and white?
It probably wouldn't. Because they'd use the alternate version made just for black and white that's included in the brand guide that most likely nobody here has access to. Come on. The people they've had work on their brand in the past aren't idiots and I doubt the current ones are.
On Nov.15.2006 at 09:56 PM
Andrew Kopietz’s comment is:
Jackson: I agree with the re-branding effort put into the new Boston Market. I took home (stole) one of their restaraunt menus because it was so well designed and tactile. I could've looked at it for hours.
As for the KFC Logo, i think it was executed really well. The colors and the shapes employed to update it's look and destill it down to only what's necessary was a good move. It'll be interesting to see them start to appear. I drove past one this morning on my way to school wondering when the giant sized logo would eventually swap out with something new.
PS --
Jackson, nice seeing you around the internet again!
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Nick Z:
Well said!!!
The first two Identities are associated with the Chicken Shack. Actually Armin has photos of the Original Colonel Sanders Chicken Shack with Bucket on top of the Roof. The Revitalized Shack was Developed and Designed by Lippincott & Margulies with Identity.
There's something wrong with Domesticating a BRAND that has the Longevity of Colonel Sanders.
It's like a Brand Strategist saying our Redesigned Mr. Kleen will have HAIR, he's been BALD forever. C'mon!!!
When I was a little child I watched those television commercials of Colonel Sanders frying chicken in his White Suite.
The Ad Campaign at the time (1960s) was built around the Secret Southern Fried Chicken Recipe which was Eleven (11) Herbs and Spices, never revea!ed. Another Mystique. of Colonel Sanders.
Correction, I've lived with the KFC Brand for Fifty (50) years. Remember it when I was about ten (10) years old. Forty years would be appropo.
DM
On Nov.15.2006 at 10:09 PM
pk’s comment is:
Besides, how would this reproduce in black and white?
oh, lay off it, dude. that's a paradigm set forth by the designers' holy trinity of 1964 (bass! rand! glaser!) when black and white was a hell of a lot more likely than it is now. you just do it, and it only gets used for something totally low-budget.
It lacks credibility when the person selling the product on TV looks like the person who could barely count out your change from lunch.
...and there are so many class-bias stereotypes going on in that sentence, i'm not even gonna start.
On Nov.15.2006 at 10:10 PM
DesignMaven’s comment is:
Nick Z:
I missed that comment.
Printing Technology has changed and is UP TO SNUFF with Digital Technology.
No problems foreseen with Black and White Printing on Newsprint or whatever. Except Fax Machines with little or no toner.(LOL)
DM
On Nov.15.2006 at 10:49 PM
rich’s comment is:
The old Colonel was the proprietor, who was going to make sure we all got some great chicken. The new one's the sad old guy at the counter who didn't save enough for retirement.
You don't wear a white suit because you have to work for a living, after all.
On Nov.15.2006 at 11:38 PM
Joe Moran’s comment is:
Have to comment that when I "previewed" the article from AAF Smart Brief, the red and black were all K. Printed, it was fine, but faxing, not good. (I tried it.)
[And who doesn't have a fax? Shame on you!]
I remember a food network show on the good Colonel. He was shown in an apron often, cooking. Can't recall if it was red or not. The red may be a designers idea of good design.
I'll still be licking my fingers for a while. I Love those birds. God bless them for giving their lives for my appetite. Especially with butter on their crispy skins. Tasty!
And another memory... going through Kentucky as a tween, there were no Kentucky Fried Chicken stores on the highway to Florida. ANYWHERE!!! Very strange. Glad they finally got 'em.
Loved the effort behind the space view, too. Clever!
VR/
On Nov.15.2006 at 11:53 PM
Joe Moran’s comment is:
Bird is the Word!
VR/
On Nov.15.2006 at 11:55 PM
Jason L.’s comment is:
The idea that something called Kentucky Fried Chicken losing it's Southern heritage seems unlikely. And I would say that losing the white suit does nothing to water down the colonel, considering that you would already have to have a pretty established relationship with the brand to know the name Colonel Sanders.
Again, being from Louisville (which for the majority that have no idea is in Kentucky) the whole Kentucky Colonel angle isn't all it's cracked up to be. So, I might not be the best to critique it.
Also, it should be noted here that KFC is owned by Yum! Brands, which also own, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, A&W, and a couple much smaller chains. That said, the new KFC mark definitely brings it into tthe fold. Also, KFC's international growth is on the verge of exponential. In fact I would guess it is where the largest bulk of their growth is, particularly in Asia. It might be interesting to know what that plays into decision making.
On Nov.16.2006 at 10:01 AM
Design Maven’s comment is:
The photograph with Text illustrate the Transition of Kentucky Fried Chicken Identity and Brand Strategy by Lippincott & Margulies to KFC by the Schechter Group formerly Schechter & Luth, InterBrand Schechter, now InterBrand.
The Naming Strategy then is clear and consistent with Today's Naming Practice.
The General Populous always called Federal Express, FedEx. Respositioning and Brand Strategy Capitalized on the Acronym.
If a Brand Strategist all of a Sudden Decided to drop the initials IBM, and rename the Corporation International Business Machines will the General Populous drop three (3) initials to enunciate ten (10) syllables In-ter-na-tion-al Bus-i-ness Ma-chi-nes.
I don't think so. Not with forty (40) to fifty (50) years of Equity built in enunciating the initials.
Jackson Cavanaugh’s comment is:
omg
On Nov.16.2006 at 03:24 PM
Ravenone’s comment is:
...that's going to give me nightmares.
Personally, I think it's creepy, and I don't care for the chunky linework. That being said: If it works for the company, by all means, they should go with it.
...The colonel is going to kill me in my sleeeep.
And I don't like the apron. From working back in the kitchen, aprons like that don't say quality; they remind me of my day-job (Doing dishes), and working in the back of the house, which is generally where full aprons are worn. NOT in dealing with customers. Aprons are not seen as looking 'professional'.
:
Nick Z.’s comment is:
Su & pk:
The black and white comment was a bit of a joke. It was risky. Sarcasm rarely carries well in text format. I should have probaly left it out.
But I still believe concentrating on the improvement of the logo is neglecting the real issue of the brand. It's being applied in a way that is more consistent with the rest of the Yum! brands than with the individuality of KFC. So Taco Bell looks like KFC looks like Pizza Hut looks like A&W. It's a mess!
Ken Holewczynski’s comment is:
Speaking of the the whole 'southern rock" thing in the TV spots, I find it idiotic that they use a strangely alien version of the song "Alabama" song to sell KENTUCKY fried chicken...
As far as the logo goes, it's been so genericised (yeah I made that word up) it does fit in nicely with the Yum! brandings - which depending on your philosophy, is either a good or bad thing. I think KFC (whatever) has lost it's identity slowly and painfully over the years.
On Nov.16.2006 at 04:49 PM
Von Glitschka’s comment is:
I like the new refined simplistic line weight in the new version but the hair looks wonky. The Colonel now has a funky comb over. Previous incarnations of his hair were pulled off better I think.
The racing stripes seem like a graphic after thought too.
On Nov.17.2006 at 01:28 AM
milo’s comment is:
Solid as a rock.
On Nov.17.2006 at 05:00 AM
Tim Lapetino’s comment is:
A little Colonel humor via "So I Married An Axe Murderer"...
Stuart: "Oooh, I hated the Colonel, with his wee beady eyes and that smug look on his face! 'Oooh you're gonna buy my chicken, oooh…'
Charlie: "Dad? How can you hate the Colonel?"
Stuart: "Because he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes you crave it fortnightly, smartass!"
And more, from the old days of the Net, when it was the Information Superhighway...
On Nov.17.2006 at 09:54 AM
stock_illustration’s comment is:
Solid, but I do miss the white jacket...the apron demotes him to "food server" rather than "keeper of the secret recipe" ...maybe I'm overthinking this...
On Nov.17.2006 at 10:09 AM
Ravenone’s comment is:
Tim-
Thanks for making me laugh :)
kabari’s comment is:
he looks less and less like a slave master with each logo. I really don't like the font int he new one though, doesn't looks like a font that should say "KFC" if that makes any sense. Also, the Colonel's eye's don't look as jolly as they used to, mabe from the think border.
On Nov.18.2006 at 04:16 AM
ziggy’s comment is:
Jason L. is right on point. The operative phrase here is "International Markets." How many people outside the southern part of the U.S. knows what a Kentucky Colonel is? The apron is symbolic across many cultures.
I think the mark is too cartoonish, however. It doen't give me the feel that the image is of a real person with a "homemade" recipe for a different product. Instead, the reduction in detail makes iit feel like a generic illustration representing a large producer.
On Nov.18.2006 at 04:12 PM
jenn.suz.hoy’s comment is:
I agree with ziggy's comment about the cartoon-like new logo.
I also miss the blue. Black, red, and white seems a little harsh to me. I liked how the red and blue worked together in the previous logos.
On Nov.20.2006 at 11:28 AM
yi’s comment is:
He looks like he went from being a rich, old plantation owner, down to working the fryer behind the counters.
On Nov.20.2006 at 04:03 PM
_linus’s comment is:
am i the only who noticed this:
what happened to the colonel's eyebrows? i think they lent at a least a superficial air of sincerity to colonel's giant grin in the previous logos. the eyes in the new logo looks slightly glazed over.
well i guess if their aim is to link the colonel with the behind the counter staff...
On Nov.20.2006 at 08:53 PM
Loren’s comment is:
Somebody above wrote that he is smiling more in the new logo. I disagree. Smiling is all in the eyes, and his eyes look lifeless. I like the expression and line quality in the old logo better.
On Nov.21.2006 at 12:38 PM
Miss Tifffany’s comment is:
I didn't notice anyone sharing this little gem from AdFreak yet. Pretty funny.
On Nov.21.2006 at 04:51 PM
Joel Skotak’s comment is:
The guy looks happier and more confident in the new logo. I guess that's what they were going for. He looks "cooler" too. Kudos to him. I wonder how his grandkids are doing?
On Nov.21.2006 at 11:24 PM
Achim’s comment is:
The "after"-logo as it is shown here is not in use. It seems like you picked an non-final version. The official version can be seen on tesser.com or here.
On Nov.22.2006 at 02:46 AM
jim’s comment is:
+ Insert Image: 
Ravenone’s comment is:
Is it just me or is he ...ever so slightly cross-eyed?
On Nov.24.2006 at 04:37 PM
michael’s comment is:
wasn't this logo unveiled a few months back? i reported on it on my blog back in august or so and i'm sure there is a newer version now, evident by their site: http://www.kfc.com/.
they have announced the return to kentucky fried chicken and the logo has been updated with the proper verbiage.
On Nov.24.2006 at 07:15 PM
Miss Tifffany’s comment is:
It seems to me that the only reasons the new logo might appear more friendly would be he's showing more teeth, they combed his curly hair, and they smoothed out the wrinkles in his smile. I find the latter the most depressing.
On Nov.27.2006 at 07:38 PM
Oly’s comment is:
Apologies if anyone has made similar points already (there's too many comments to read!)
Im really fascinated by this redesign as I think it tells us some interesting messages about the motives behind KFC & the designers but more importantly about the problems with American Culture today
Here's why I think it's been changed the way it has...
-Colour Scheme
The previous colour scheme is totally "American" It's the same as the american flag, primary blue, red and white. Im sorry to say this but America, if we talk about it as a brand is not doing well at all. We could talk and argue about the reasons for this until the cows come home but regardless of any political reasons the American culture of fast food is becoming very unpopular across the globe and KFC's previous colours place them squarely in that bracket. The new logo is -of course- still american in feel but it's much more homely and 'local cafe' rather than 'global corp'
-The outfit
The apron is a very clever addition by the designers and it's very effective. It totally changes our perception of who the Colonel is. He looks as though he's just walked out the kitchen after cooking the food for you rather than a man who has just finished counting the cash from all the processed food thats just been sold to the masses.
-Age and personality
He's definaltely become more friendly, he's thinner, younger and appears to be a lot more like your favourite grandpa rather than the local oil tycoon. Most importantly though he looks healthier!
Expect other big american brands to follow suit in the near future.
On Nov.28.2006 at 05:26 PM
Big D’s comment is:
I'm not sure about this one. It really makes me question the difference between an illustration and a logo. Don't get me wrong, I am no fan of the 1991 Schechter version but this one seems to lack weight and a bit of credibility.
On Nov.29.2006 at 08:48 PM
Armin’s comment is:
Update: The new KFC identity was designed by San Francisco-based Tesser. Don't miss a PDF with highlights of the new logo — including an explanation of the three stripes on the apron.
On Nov.30.2006 at 08:31 AM
AL’s comment is:
From the PDF: "An established part of KFC’s trade
dress, three stripes provide critical
brand cues for a logo designed to be
instantly identifiable without the KFC
letterforms". Well for me the tree stripes IS Adidas. Really strange decision.
Todd’s comment is:
The final logo will read Kentucky Fried Chicken yet the only time I have seen thisa logo is on their website.
Is the cureent new "KFC" logo on here, wikipedia and on tv their transaction logo until re-releasing the full name logo again?
I'm all for the full name just not sure why they made the colonel look more like a cartoon.
On Nov.30.2006 at 03:12 PM
JY’s comment is:
Im probably the onlyone here who hates the new logo, I mean come on the colonel looks like a greasy late-middle aged man now, he has slicker 80's style hair and thicker glasses and the apron just dosent agree with him. I hope that these logo changes don't happen in the UK, if that logo appears above my local KFC it will seriously put me off the food. Also I dont like the old full name Kentucky Fried Chicken coming back as it pulls KFC away from the youth market which it is very popular in at the moment over here.
If they really think that a logo re-design is needed they should give it a logo that dosent make people think of old men serving chicken because thats no colonel.
Rene Nakabayashi’s comment is:
Does anybody know the KFC's brazilian wife?
Jeff Stevens’s comment is:
I've heard several posters question why the colonel was made more cartoon-like in the newest logo. I think the answer to this can be found in Scott McCloud's Guide to Understanding Comics. McCloud argues that as the depiction of human form moves more to the abstarct from the photorealistic, it is more easy for a larger audience to identify themselves in that person, as they lose facial characteristics and definitions that make them more individualistic. By moving the Colonel in this direction, they make him more relatable to international markets.
On Dec.07.2006 at 09:53 AM
Tangram’s comment is:
I gotta agree with the EYE, the old Colonel's eye was more alive/exuberance than the tepid new eye, the smile with lesser curve lines doesn't look to me as a genuine, more like an effort. Sure it looks younger, just not that friendly old grandpa.
On Dec.13.2006 at 01:43 AM
Mark’s comment is:
Has anyone else noticed that the way Colonal Sanders has been depicted from the past to the present has always seemed kind of creepy?
from a disombodied head in the 1950s-1990s to staring at you straight in the face logo of today.
somebody has got to be freaked out by this.
Megan’s comment is:
Does anyone know the typeface used on their new site for the word "Chicken"?
On Jan.03.2007 at 06:41 PM
Joe Moran’s comment is:
Wish or work? Pluck is Luck! The Colonel knew. Do you?
Cluck, cluck!!!
VR/
On Jan.03.2007 at 11:10 PM
Emily’s comment is:
Does anyone know who this character is with the Colonel? Would he be the Tops Drive in Character?
Sheepstealer’s comment is:
This logo may be a step forward for the Colonel, but it's a step back for identity design.
First, when I see all of the strategy points, I can see that this works well. It’s simpler, more international, and maybe a little friendlier. But I think it’s missing something important.
The great identities of the world are clean, simple, and iconic, but they’ve also got a human touch to them. They have a quality that is left by the trained touch of a true craftsman. Look at any of the identities designed by the aforementioned “trinity.” I don’t know if it’s research, or focus groups, or “strategy” that brought KFC to this point, but the new illustration has been cleaned up to the point where it has lost it’s soul.
Secondly, I think the issue of black-and-white reproduction is still valid, but not for the reason of atiquated production techniques. It should be b/w friendly for the purpose of clarity and memorability. If you asked the average sidewalk stander to draw the Colonel’s logo what would they give you? Now ask them to draw IBM, or Apple, or Target. Those are all b/w friendly, but I doubt it’s because they have to use them in fax machines.
Finally the type. How could Sheepstealer not comment on the type. The basic letterforms of “Kentucky Fried” are the old school—unlike the “slick” mark. And “chicken” — sometimes in the old type, sometimes in the new scripty type. Which is it? And then the KFC is still there -- sometimes.
Not memorable, not iconic, not consistent. I’m going to have to respectfully disagree with those who are falling in ranks behind the Colonel.
On Jan.08.2007 at 01:10 PM
Mark’s comment is:
At least the previous colonel looked like he was smiling/laughing the new one looks like he's staring at me and frankly it looks kinda.....weird. ;P
On Jan.09.2007 at 05:07 PM
Palmer’s comment is:
I suppose times are tough. With the raising of minimum wage, The Colonel has had to fire the help, put on an apron and get back into the kitchen himself.
On Jan.12.2007 at 10:24 AM
SonofKFC’s comment is:
Okay, I'm a little biased I suppose, but the coloniel stood for service, cleanliness,and product, thats what he did, he wasnt just some guy that made a lot of money, he served his customer and he served them well or we wouldnt be discussing this right now. As far as the new logo, its awesome! The atmosphere is more warm and fuzzy in the stores that have the new look to them (vision stores).
Yum brands only owns KFC, Pizza Hut, A&W, Long Johns silvers and Tacobell. In the Florida Region we have pretty much a kfc with atleast 1 other brand and some two. Theyve managed to create and 3n1 with KFC, P. Hut and TB....
Someone mentioned that the brands are coming together, yes they are to create a family between the stores and make it easier for adults to choose different options for their childrens..
Yes we know that Sweet Home Alabama is in the KFC commericals but its not about kentucky anymore, its about promoting Southern Hospitaliy.
On Jun.13.2007 at 11:42 PM
Anthony Jr.’s comment is:
Not brand imagery, exactly, but Harland Sanders statement of purpose is quite elegant:
"It is comparatively easy to prosper by trickery, the violation of confidence, oppression of the weak, sharp practices, cutting corners—all of those methods that we are so prone to palliate and condone as “business shrewdness.”
It is difficult to prosper by the keeping of promises, the deliverance of value in goods, in services and in deeds—and in the meeting of so-called “shrewdness” with sound merit and good ethics.
The easy way is efficacious and speedy; the hard way arduous and long. But, as the clock ticks, the easy way becomes harder and the hard way becomes easier. And as the calendar records the years, it becomes increasingly evident that the easy way rests hazardously upon shifting sands, whereas the hard way builds solidly a foundation of confidence that cannot be swept away.
Thus we builded."
Harland Sanders
1937
NOTE: "builded" is a correct, though archaic, use of the verb "to build."
On Sep.05.2007 at 05:01 PM
Jeana’s comment is:
I like the new comment... what still makes me laugh when the commercials come on is "Sweet Home ALABAMA" as the theme song for "KENTUCKY Fried Chicken"!! Come on guys... 2 totally different states!!
On Oct.25.2007 at 09:24 AM
Ashley-op’s comment is:
On Nov.25.2007 at 01:48 PM
Ashley-ig’s comment is:
On Nov.25.2007 at 01:48 PM
J Fitch’s comment is:
KFC was done by Tesser Group in San Fran. You can see their explanation at:
The Tesser Group
Enjoy!
Wheezbuh’s comment is:
I like it better, for the most part. I agree with Von's comment that the hair is distracting. It almost looks like he usually sports a mohawk, but he's tamed it down for the photoshoot.
The apron? This could just be me, but I immediately placed him as a server in a KFC restaurant—I didn't think of it as a cooks apron. It made me chuckle to think about the Colonel slinging chicken buckets and pouring Diet Pepsi's from 9–5.
I do like the simplified KFC logotype, too. They added some chunkier serifs to make it more substantial and friendly than the previous version.
On Feb.02.2008 at 04:54 PM
benjamin santino filippi’s comment is:
HOW ABOUT A NEW LOGO FOR DIET PEPSI
On Feb.18.2008 at 09:45 PM
bettencourt’s comment is:
The new Colonel looks drunk to me, maybe even a little thirsty with that forty yard stare he's got going.
On Mar.08.2008 at 07:39 PM
Armin’s comment is:
This post has been closed due to targeted spam.
On Mar.18.2008 at 01:56 PM
