Dive Brief:

• KFC has released a pair of new videos on YouTube and TV to promote the limited-edition menu item Kentucky Fried Chicken & Waffles that parody well-know love songs from the past. In one, the iconic dance scene at the end of the '80s film "Dirty Dancing" serves as inspiration and features Colonel Sanders lifting Mrs. Butterworth, mascot of the Conagra-owned Mrs. Butterworth's syrup, to the tune of "(I've Had) the Time of My Life," Ad Age reported.
• The campaign, created by Wieden & Kennedy Portland, stars actor Craig Fleming as the Colonel, and a voiceover says the limited-time chicken and waffles is the "most delicious union of all time." A second video on YouTube features the song "The Power of Love" popularized by Celine Dion in the 90s and not to be confused with the Huey Lewis song of the same name that appeared in the film "Back to the Future."
• Kentucky Fried Chicken & Waffles are available through Dec. 31 and feature a Belgian Liege-style waffle. Meals include fried chicken or tenders, waffles and a side of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup. A sandwich with two waffles serving as the bread and a Hot Honey fried chicken breast fillet is also available.

Dive Insight:

KFC is continuing its comical, quirky marketing by spoofing of the famous lift from the final dance scene of "Dirty Dancing," often considered one of the most iconic films of the '80s. The scene has been humorously redone numerous times for TV shows and films, and even the NFL. For this year's Super Bowl ad campaign, New York Giants players, including Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr., recreated scenes from the film, including the lift, to the tune of "(I've Had) the Time of My Life."

The campaign is KFC's latest effort to capture consumers' interest in nostalgia for the '80s and '90s, the eras when millennial-age consumers grew up and have shown a fondness for. The creative will also appeal to Gen Zers, who are showing a stronger interest in fast food than older generations. KFC debuted a spot, titled "What's for Dinner?," in August that parodies sitcoms from the era and starred actor, comedian and director Jason Alexander, best known for his role on "Seinfeld," as the "Family Colonel." 

The dancing Mrs. Butterworth bottle also isn't the first time KFC has animated a condiment in its marketing. The fast food chain in September unveiled the Colonel Bear, the latest iteration of its brand mascot which took the form of a talking bear-shaped honey bottle dressed like the Colonel, to promote its new Hot Honey fried chicken. Fans could also enter to win a vintage-inspired, pull-string talking Colonel Bear figurine. 

Bringing back the Colonel mascot a few years ago has been a hit with consumers and helped KFC stand out in the fast food market. KFC has tapped different celebrities to play the Colonel in recent marketing. This summer, the brand brought back actor George Hamilton as the Extra Crispy Colonel and featured the current World's Strongest Man and "Game of Thrones" actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson​ as the Double Crispy Colonel. However, during last year's holiday season, KFC cast a relatively unknown actor, Christopher Boyer, to play the Value Colonel to promote meals that "won't break the bank."