KFC Wants You To Name Your Newborn After Colonel Sanders
Do you love KFC? Like, do you really, really love KFC? Well, if you do and you also happen to be heavily pregnant, the fried chicken chain has quite the offer for you. To celebrate the 128th birthday of its founder, Colonel Harland David Sanders, KFC is trying to bring back his old-timey name — and they want you to name your progeny after him.
According to a press release, KFC wants to re-popularize the name Harland (which was only the 3,257th most popular baby name of 2017) and is launching a contest for soon-to-be parents. The first baby boy or girl to be born on the Colonel's birthday September 9, 2018, and named Harland will win an $11,000 college scholarship so one day maybe they can start their own fast food restaurant. Why $11,000? It's an ode to the restaurant's famous 11 herbs and spices, of course.
And why the latest stunt? "Even though vintage names are making a comeback, our iconic founder's name was dwindling in popularity, and we couldn't just stand idly by and let that happen," said Andrea Zahumensky, KFC U.S. chief marketing officer, in a statement. "We hope that this birthday celebration honors the Colonel and encourages the next generation of people aspiring to live the American dream."
Indeed, according to Babycenter.com, Harland's popularity peaked in 1905, when it was the 484th most popular baby name. For 2018, it's on track to be No. 6,193, but come September 10, that all could change. Heck, it could be the next Liam!
Parents who love fried chicken, college educations and vintage baby names can submit the name, date and time of their baby Harland's birth along with their contact information on www.kfc.com/babyharland starting on September 9. The website will be live for 30 days, because being a new parent can be tough.
Didn't know that Colonel Sanders' first name was Harland? Well, then you probably didn't know these facts about KFC either!