The Colonel Casts His Spell in Bewitching KFC Campaign

All willpower crumbles under the seductive powers of the Colonel in director Sam Coleman’s irresistible new campaign for KFC and Ogilvy Johannesburg. The tantalisingly dark and moody spots portray the very moment when we give into our deepest desires, in this case KFC.

KFC ‘Can’t Resist’ is an atmospheric campaign that tells the stories of frustration, desire, resistance and finally letting go. Using a long take approach largely free of technique and editing, Sam Coleman explores the journey from the first moment of seduction all the way to surrender. With no dialogue, the spots are about the character’s inner struggle and in the red glow of the ever-present Colonel, the witchy atmosphere is underscored by a rendition Nina Simone’s ‘I Put a Spell on You’. 

Sam elicits evocative performances in ostensibly small uninterrupted moments, while crafting a strong visual world. Elegantly drawing the audience in through his choice of angles, he captures the instant the characters become powerless to the finger lickin indulgence. 

About developing the scenes and capturing the character’s inner journey, Sam says: ‘The challenge was to show the exact moment when resistance caves in and the characters succumb to KFC. In a sense, that then made the moments before and after equally important. Allowing the actor to be caught in that moment before they give in, and letting that build up, seemed to be where the good stuff would be. I opted to let the tension build as much as possible and let each character interpret their own “breakdown” without cutting.’

Says Ogilvy Johannesburg’s Senior Art Director, Naledi Manama: ‘Sam Coleman’s stylistic approach to treating the mix of food and narrative has brought a fresh, interesting and eye-catching visual language that lent itself to KFC’s new way of showcasing irresistibility.’