KFC has chosen country music icon Reba McEntire to play Colonel Sanders in a series of commercials that will begin airing next week, ABC News reports.
Since the fast food chain was founded in 1930, this is the first time that a woman has played the role of the franchise's founder in a campaign. Jim Gaffigan, George Hamilton, Darrell Hammond, and Rob Lowe are among some of the male actors who have played the part in the past.
A KFC spokesperson told Today their choice to feature a female Sanders was not influenced by the recent women's movements, but that "KFC has always said that the role of the Colonel is bigger than any one person, and that anyone who embodies the Colonel's spirit of entrepreneurism showmanship is qualified to play the iconic role."
"Nothing to see here, folks. Nope, nothin' at all. Just the same old Colonel with a new flavor of fried chicken," KFC captioned a preview of one of their commercials on Twitter.
However, the singer has certainly put her own twist on the iconic fried chicken figure. While McEntire does don Sanders' white wig and white facial hair, the traditional outfit now has fringe on the back and some glittery shine, which gives it "a little bit of the country music flair," McEntire told the Associated Press.
"I thought the transformation was really funny," she added. "I got a big kick out of it."
KFC's new chief marketing officer, Andrea Zahumensky, said of McEntire, "I think this is going to be our most-loved Colonel yet," according to ABC News.
McEntire, who grew up in Oklahoma and said she ate KFC all the time, will help promote its new Smoky Mountain BBQ, which combines fried chicken with a taste of barbecue. The commercials are set to run until April.
Below are some of the sneak peeks KFC has shared of the campaign on YouTube.
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