KFC''s Colonel Sanders Inducted into Advertising Walk of Fame

Colonel Sanders, the founder of the KFC Restaurant chain may have begun building his legendary chicken empire almost a century ago, but he'''s still going places today! His most recent achievement is to be voted the First Real Person to be Favorite Icon of the Year. This morning, Col. Sanders was announced as one of North America's two Favorite Icons in advertising for 2006, the first real person ever to receive this designation, at a ceremony and parade held in conjunction with Advertising Week 2006 in New York City. "Colonel Sanders holds a special place in the hearts and memories of so many Americans, and this honor is certainly an indication of his far-reaching and enduring appeal to food-lovers of all ages," said James O'Reilly, interim chief marketing officer for KFC. "The fact that the Colonel is the only real person ever to be inducted into Madison Avenue's Advertising Walk of Fame only adds to this distinction, and is certainly something of which he would be proud today." Tens of thousands of voters selected the Sanders from among twenty-six famous advertising icons to be inducted into Madison Avenue's Advertising Walk of Fame. In 1952, Colonel Sanders established the first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. After years of running his own successful restaurant in Corbin, Ky., he used his social security check and business savvy to grow the chain into one of the world's dominant fast food operations. Among the most recognized faces anywhere, the Colonel appeared in KFC advertising between the 1950s and 1970s and acted as a KFC spokesperson until his passing in 1980.